


Soledad II

by a1_kitkat



Series: Soledad [2]
Category: Westlife
Genre: Anal Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Engagement Sex, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Consensual, Non-Consensual Blow Jobs, Object Penetration, Playing with matches, Psychological Trauma, Rape Aftermath, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, Shnicky - Freeform, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 00:34:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 47,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3361226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six months after the events of 'Soledad' and both Shane & Nicky are still suffering in the aftermath of their ordeal. Then, before Shane can take the stand in his court trial, Nicky is kidnapped by the same men who hurt him during Shane's kidnapping and the nightmare begins all over again....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 was written waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2003, so yeah, some of my very early work for ya
> 
>  
> 
> Original publication date (on my now defunct 'All Things Shnicky' site): 16 April 2003

The video came to an end and the television screen went blank. Tobey picked up the remote and pressed 'stop'. A noise behind him made him pause. Several seconds later, his accomplice Kane appeared in the doorway. Tobey shook his head and pressed the 'rewind' button. As the video rewound, Kane stared at his friend, not saying a word.  
"What?" Tobey asked. His voice sounded between annoyed and bored.  
"How many times are you going to watch that?" Kane asked him.  
"As many times as I want. Okay?" Tobey replied.  
Kane nodded his head and slowly backed away. He took a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in his mouth. He raised his lighter and lit the cigarette. Kane was going stir-crazy. He and Tobey had been hiding out for several months and he was desperate to get out.  
Their friends and boss had been arrested almost eight months ago. Their appearance in court had been set a few months back but other commitments continued to delay the trial.  
Tobey and Kane had been devising a plan to get their friends released but Kane had come to realise something. Tobey seemed to have lost interest in their friends... Tobey had become infatuated with something else. Well, someone else.... 

"You need to get over this" Kane ventured.  
"Over what?" Tobey asked.  
"This!" Kane shouted, pointing towards the television. Tobey had pressed 'play' once again and had returned his attention to the video once more. "I mean, you can only watch yourself rape him so many times"  
"So you think I should just forget about him?"  
"Yes. Unless you have a better idea"  
"As a matter of fact, I do"  
"What?"  
"I think it's about time for a re-shoot"


	2. Chapter One

Shane awoke with a start. He sat up in his bed as his eyes frantically searched the room. He was surrounded by darkness. The sound of the rain hitting the roof above him sent an uneasy shiver down his spine. He pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged himself tightly. He glanced at the clock beside the bed and sighed. 4-48am.  
Shane groaned. He knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now. Not after another nightmare like that one. He had been hoping the dreams were over but... no such luck. He rolled over and looked down at the blonde asleep beside him. He found himself smiling and reached out to run his fingers through the short blonde locks. As soon as Shane's hand met with Nicky's body, Nicky jerked away... Instantly terrified.

"Nicky?" Shane whispered. "Hey, it's okay. It's just me"  
"Shane?" Nicky replied.  
"Yeah, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"  
"Uh, yeah. Yes. I'm sorry you just startled me"  
Nicky reached out and wrapped his arms around the brunette, pulling him closer. Shane slid his arms around Nicky's waist and returned the embrace.  
"Did... did you have another nightmare?" Nicky asked him.  
"Yeah, did you?" Shane replied.  
"Kinda. I just, I couldn't sleep"

"It's never going to end. Is it?" Shane stated.  
"What's never going to end?" Nicky asked.  
"All this. The nightmares and stuff"  
"You're still scared that it'll happen again"  
"I guess... I don't know. I just… I got this feeling. You know, that something bad is going to happen"  
"To you?"  
"No. You"  
"Nothing's going happen to me. You know that"  
"I guess"  
Shane smiled and rested his head against Nicky's chest, listening to the sound of Nicky's heart beating.  
"I love you Shane"  
"I love you too"

Shane closed his eyes and tried to fall back to sleep. He couldn't. Each time he closed his eyes, he was taken back to that room. To Christian's house. The basement. The room that had almost destroyed him. He hadn't been the same since the events that had occurred to him in that room. In that house. In what had been the most painful week of his life.  
Shane opened his eyes and looked up at Nicky. He was staring back at him, a somewhat grim expression on his face. Shane could barely see his face in the darkness but he could sense how the blonde was feeling.  
Nicky leaned forward and lightly kissed the tip of Shane's nose.  
"What was that for?" Shane asked him.  
"For being you," Nicky replied.

*-*-*-*-*

The following morning, the sky was grey and cloudy. Kian stared out the window at the depressing weather and sighed. He closed the curtain and picked up his robe. He put it on and yawned. He opened the door and made his way out into the entryway. Kian slowly walked through the house and into the kitchen. He filled the kettle with water and set it to boil.   
He opened the cupboard and searched for something to eat. Once the kettle had boiled, he made himself a cup of coffee and headed into the living room. He sat down and turned the television on.  
'With less than three weeks to go until the impending trial, the members of Westlife have taken time off from their busy schedules to better organize their work. A national tour had been planned but they were forced the postpone it. The police have asked for the trial to be kept as private as possible. And for there to be no press involvement. With seven consecutive number one singles in the UK. The members of Westlife, Mark, Bryan, Kian, Nicky and Shane, have become one of Ireland's most successful exports'

Kian turned the television off and sighed. Not a day goes by without someone mentioning the upcoming trial. He shook his head and made his way into the kitchen. He turned the radio on and proceeded to make breakfast.

*-*-*-*-*

Shane opened his eyes and blinked several times. He held back a yawn and looked up at Nicky. He was still sleeping peacefully. Shane slowly pulled away from Nicky's embrace. Being careful not to wake him, he climbed out of bed and made his way down the hall to the bathroom. After a quick shower, Shane got dressed then made his way downstairs. He found Kian in the kitchen, cooking breakfast.  
"Morning" Kian greeted him.  
"Hey" Shane replied. "Morning"  
"Where's Nicky?"  
"Still asleep. I figured I should leave him. I don't imagine he slept too well"  
"More nightmares?"  
"Yeah"  
Shane picked up a slice of toast and began to take slow, tiny bites. He didn't have much of an appetite but if he didn't eat something he knew Kian would yell at him.

"Are you okay?" Kian asked him.  
"Yeah. I guess" Shane replied. Kian sat down beside Shane at the table and looked at him.  
"You don't look too good"  
"Haven't slept much. I think I've had those stupid nightmares every night for the past two weeks. I don't imagine they're gonna go away anytime soon"  
"It must be pretty tough"  
"It is. Even on those nights when I am finally able to fall asleep, Nicky needs me. And he has been so supportive of me; I can't just walk away when he needs me the most"

Shane buried his face in his hands and tried to hold back his tears. Kian wrapped his other arm around Shane and pulled him into a hug.  
"I just wish it would stop"   
"It will" Kian replied. "Eventually"  
"Why did this have to happen?" Shane sobbed. "What did I do wrong?"  
"What?" Kian asked him.  
"What did I do to deserve this punishment?"  
"You didn't do anything"  
"Then... then why did this happen? Why am I being punished?"  
"You're not being punished"  
"Then why is this happening?"  
"I don't know"  
"This shouldn't have happened"  
"Shane, you can't let this run your life. You have to move on. I know that what happened was terrible. But, you have so much going for you. You've got great friends, a good family, a successful career and a boyfriend who's madly in love with you. You can't keep looking at the bad things in your life. You have too many good things going for you. Don't let this one incident destroy your life"  
Shane listened to him but didn't say anything. He nodded and pulled away from Kian.  
"You're right" Shane said. "I'm sorry"  
"Don't be" Kian said. Shane nodded and continued to eat his toast in silence.

"Morning" Nicky greeted them as he bound into the room.  
"Hey Nix" Kian replied.  
Nicky paused behind Shane's seat and slid his arms around his neck. Shane turned and looked up at the older boy, a smile clearly displayed on his lips.  
"Why didn't you wake me?" Nicky asked him before leaning down and kissing him.  
"Didn't have the heart, you look so peaceful when you're asleep"

"Shane? Nicky?" Kian began. "I've been thinking..."  
"This sounds serious" Nicky said as he sat down beside him.  
"No. It's just that maybe it's time I moved out"  
"What?"  
"I mean you and Shane are okay now. When I moved in here, we all agreed it was only a temporary thing. That I was only going to stay until you and Shane were settled and felt safe"   
"But... you can't leave us" Nicky told him. "We like having you here. We need you here"  
"I just, I don't want to wear out my welcome"  
"You never could. We want you here. You are always welcome here. You know that"  
"Yeah, thanks. I'm sorry I bought it up"  
"It's okay. But if you do feel that you want to go. We won't hold it against you. We won't force you to stay. It's up to you"  
"Thank you"  
Kian smiled at them. He didn't really want to leave them. He enjoyed living with them. And, even though he'd still see them everyday, he had to admit. He'd miss living with them.

"So, what are our plans for the day?" Kian asked, changing the subject.  
"Uh, I... I'm going to see my parents" Nicky told him.  
"You are?" Shane asked. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"  
"Only just decided"  
"Do you want me to come with you?"  
"No, you've probably got better things to do"  
Shane nodded, glad Nicky had said no. He was also secretly glad that Nicky was busy today. Shane, himself, had already made plans. He was meeting Bryan, Kerry and Molly down town so he could pick something up.  
"What are you going to do today?" Nicky asked him.  
"Uh... I haven't really decided yet" Shane lied.  
"Well, I hope you have fun anyway"  
"I will"


	3. Chapter Two

When Nicky returned home that afternoon, the first thing he noticed was the police car parked in front of his house. He stopped his car in the driveway and jumped out, he didn't have time to lock the door he had to get inside. He ran up the front walk and threw the front door open. Bryan, Kerry, Kian and Shane were sitting in the living room. They weren't alone. Two Police officers were with them.  
"Is everyone okay?" Nicky asked.  
"Nicky!" Shane stated, his face lit up and he jumped up. Shane ran to Nicky's side and threw his arms around him. "Thank God you're okay"  
"Yeah, I'm fine" Nicky told him, returning the hug. "Why wouldn't I be?"  
"I was so worried"  
"About? What's going on?"  
"Where have you been?"  
"I went to visit my parents. Well, I was on my way to see them but I changed my mind. I went for a drive and ended up at Gina's"  
"You weren't answering your phone!"  
"Well, I accidentally left it behind"

"Well, you had Shane in quite a panic" Bryan spoke up.  
"I didn't mean to. What happened?"  
"We were out shopping" Shane began. "I lost sight of Bry and Kerry. I think I got turned around or something. Either way, I lost them. Then some guy grabbed me and.... and threatened me"  
"Oh God"  
Nicky hugged Shane once more, trying to reassure him.  
"He... he said he'd hurt you" Shane said. "Bry found me and the guy took off. I tried calling your cell and there was no answer. I called your parents and they hadn't seen you. I was terrified"  
"It's okay. I'm here now. And I'm safe. We all are"

"We just need to ask you a few more questions, Mr Filan" one of the officers spoke up.  
"Okay" Shane replied.  
"Well, we just need to make sure we have all the details"  
"Sure"  
"You say it happened just after three? After you left Max & Maxine, the jewellery store"  
"What were you doing in the jewellery store?" Nicky interrupted.  
"My fault" Kerry told Nicky. "It's statistically impossible for me to walk past a jewellery store and not go inside"  
Shane smiled at her, thankful for her quick thinking.

"And the person was wearing, jeans and a black shirt?" The officer continued. "With black hair and green eyes?"  
"Yes" Shane replied, not looking at Nicky.  
"Well, that's not much to go on. But, we'll do our best. It could have been someone's idea of a sick joke. Maybe, someone who knew about this trial and wanted to scare you"  
"I guess"  
"We'd better be off" The officer said.  
"Thanks for stopping by" Kian said.   
"Hey, it's our job. We'll be in touch"

Kian walked the two officers to the door and saw them out. When he returned to the living room, he was greeted with silence. It was obvious that everyone was pretty shaken up by what had happened. So shaken up, that no one knew exactly what to say.  
"I should go upstairs and check on Molly" Kerry said. She stood up and left the room. Shane watched her leave then excused himself and followed her.

Kerry opened the door to one of the spare bedrooms and went inside. Molly was still fast asleep in her crib. Kerry turned around and saw Shane standing in the doorway.  
"I never thanked you for keeping this bed here for her" Kerry told Shane. "It's very sweet of you"  
"Nicky's idea" Shane told her. "You know he loves her almost as much as you and Bryan do"  
"I know. He's great with her"  
"He's just great, you know... in general?"  
"If you say so..."  
"I just wanted to thank you for covering up about the jewellery store"  
"Not a problem. So, when are you gonna ask him?"  
"I don't know yet"  
"Don't worry about it. You will find the perfect opportunity"  
"I hope so. Kerry?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Do you think he'll like it?"  
"He'll love it"

*-*-*-*-*

Later that night, after Bryan had taken Kerry and Molly home, Shane and Nicky were sitting together on the couch. Shane's arms were wrapped tightly around Nicky, holding him close. Nicky rested his head on Shane's shoulder and sighed.  
"You okay?" Shane asked him.  
"Yeah, I'm fine" Nicky replied.  
"You sure?"  
"Yes. The only thing I have to worry about, is your choking me to death"  
Shane instantly loosened his grip on him and smiled sheepishly.  
"Sorry baby" Shane stated.  
"It's okay. I know you're worried about me" Nicky told him.  
"I just couldn't bare the thought of something bad happening to you. I was so worried about you"  
"But, I'm fine"  
"Well, I didn't know that at the time. Did I?"  
"I guess not"  
"So, you’re not mad at me for jumping the gun?"  
"You were worried about me. That's all"

Kian appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray with three cups of coffee and a plate of chocolate biscuits. Shane smiled gratefully at him as Kian placed the tray on the table. Nicky pulled away from Shane's embrace and leaned forward, picking up two of the three cups. He handed one to Shane and kept the other for himself.  
"Thanks Ki" Nicky said.  
"Not a problem" Kian replied. "Besides, you've had it pretty tough today"  
"We really appreciate all your help" Nicky said to Kian.  
"It's nothing. Really" Kian replied.  
"Nicky's right" Shane began. "I don't know what we'd do without you. You truly are a lifesaver. And we do appreciate everything you do for us. We honestly can't thank you enough for agreeing to move in here with us"  
"Are you two going to be okay?" Kian asked.  
"We hope so," Nicky said.

Shane slid his arm around Nicky's waist and smiled at him. He leaned forward and kissed Nicky's forehead. He smiled back at Shane before taking a sip of his drink.  
"What are you going to do now?" Kian said.  
"I think we should just carry on," Nicky said. "Forget about what happened and move on. Tomorrow's our anniversary. The last thing I want is for what happened today to ruin it. We've got a fantastic dinner planned for tomorrow night and I just want to think about that"  
"But, that guy scared me"  
"Shane, listen to me. Nothing can go wrong tomorrow, okay? Let's just forget about what that guy said to you today and just move on. I'm fine. You're fine. Nothing can go wrong"  
Shane nodded. He pulled Nicky closer and smiled down at him. He really wanted to believe him but that uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach had returned.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Wrong? What makes you think something's wrong?"  
"I know you. And I can tell when something is troubling you"  
"No. I'm fine"  
"Are you sure?" Nicky asked.  
"Yes. I'm okay," Shane told him.

Nicky nodded then leaned forward, placing his coffee back down on the table. Shane watched him, not saying a word.  
"I'm gonna go to bed" Nicky said, standing up.  
"Are you okay?" Kian asked him.  
"I'm fine. Just tired"  
Nicky turned and looked down at Shane. He leaned forward and lightly kissed his forehead.  
"Good night" Shane said.  
"Night" Nicky replied. "Night Ki"  
"Night Nicky" Kian told him.

Once Nicky had left the room, Kian turned to Shane.  
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked him.  
"No. I just, I have this feeling that something bad is gonna happen"  
"I think you should just try not to think about it. Just focus on tomorrow, okay? Tomorrow is supposed to be a special day. For you and Nicky. You don't want anything to ruin it for him, do you?"  
"No" Shane admitted. "I don't"


	4. Chapter Three

The following morning, Shane awoke before Nicky. He sighed before turning and looking at Nicky. He smiled at the sleeping blonde and reached out, brushing a strand of hair from the older boy's face. He sighed again as the events of the previous day flashed through his mind. Shane was still concerned about that man who had confronted, and threatened, him. He hated feeling so useless but he had been beyond scared. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Nicky, again. Nicky stirred and opened his eyes. He found Shane staring at him. The look on Shane's face was unreadable, even for Nicky.  
"Hey" Nicky whispered.   
"Hey" Shane replied.  
"Been awake long?"  
"A few minutes"  
Shane placed his hand on Nicky's cheek before slowly moving it down to his waist, pulling him closer. Shane smiled and pulled him into a hug. Nicky rested his head on Shane's chest and closed his eyes. Neither man was tired, despite just waking up. So the couple lay in bed together, in silence. Holding each other close, enjoying the comfort they found in each other's arms.

*-*-*-*-*

When they finally decided to get up, most of the morning had already passed. After a quick shower, Nicky went downstairs to the kitchen while Shane had his shower. When Nicky entered the Kitchen he discovered that the kitchen was a mess. At first he wondered if their house had been trashed. Then Kian opened the back door and entered the house. Nicky looked at him but Kian didn't see him standing in the doorway. Kian picked up a plate and turned around. He saw Nicky and jumped back, startled.

"Nicky!" Kian stated.  
"What are you doing?" Nicky replied.   
"I... Uh... Was getting your breakfast ready. It was supposed to be a surprise for you and Shane"  
"Ki. You didn't have to do that"  
"I know. But, I wanted to. You and Shane have been really good to me. I mean, letting me live here and everything. I just wanted to do this for you two. I mean it's been a whole year" 

"It's also been eight months since Shane was...." Nicky trailed off.  
"Taken" Kian finished. "Try not to think about it, Nicky. I know that sounds mean but today should be about you and Shane. You're supposed to be happy, today marks the first time you told each other how you felt. You should be celebrating the love the two of you have for each other"  
"I know"  
"What do you know?" Shane asked, appearing in the doorway.  
"Uh, that..." Nicky began.  
"That today is about the two of you" Kian stated.  
"Oh" Shane said. "Yeah, I know that too"  
Shane approached Nicky and slid his arms around his waist. Nicky returned the hug and glanced at Kian over Shane's shoulder.  
'Thank you' Nicky mouthed. Kian smiled.

"Hey" Kian interrupted. "I hate to interrupt but your breakfast, well brunch, is probably getting cold"  
"You made us breakfast?" Shane asked.  
"Yeah" Kian replied. "I just, I thought that since the two of you are planning this dinner tonight for all of us. I could repay you by taking care of breakfast for you"  
"Well, thank you" Shane said.  
"Don't mention it. So, you'd better go outside and eat" Kian told them.  
"Are you going to join us?" Nicky asked him.  
"No. It's just for you and Shane"

Kian opened the back door and ushered the couple outside. The table was covered with food and flowers. Shane smiled and took Nicky's hand. He led Nicky over to the table and they sat down. Kian had obviously gone to a lot of trouble. Shane picked up a glass of juice and Nicky did the same.  
"Well, to us" Shane began.  
"Here's to one whole year together," Nicky continued. "And many more to follow"  
"I love you"  
"And, I love you too"  
Kian stood at the kitchen window, watching his two friends. He smiled and sighed. They were so happy together. He tore his gaze away from the couple and set about cleaning up the mess he had made.

*-*-*-*-*

Later that afternoon, Shane was in the backyard tending to his horses while Nicky was in the Kitchen, attempting to talk on the phone and prepare dinner at the same time. The other two lads were coming over for dinner so a lot of food was required. Plus Bryan was bringing Kerry & Molly with him while Jade and Bobby were coming with Mark. Nicky hung up the phone and called out to Kian. The back door opened and Kian entered the Kitchen.  
"Nix? You called me?" Kian asked.  
"Yes. I need you to do me a favour," Nicky told him.  
"What kind of favour?"  
"I need someone to go out and pick up Shane's present for me"  
"Of course I can. Where is it?"  
"It’s at Victor's. I didn't want Shane to see it"  
"Okay. I'll go. Where is Shane?"  
"He’s out back. In the stable. I think he's gonna go for a ride"

"Fine, I'll leave now. By the way, Mark called. He said that he and Jade might be a little late. They gotta get Bobby from the airport"  
"Okay"  
"Be back soon"  
Kian turned and headed towards the door. He stopped and turned back around, looking at Nicky.

"Are you sure I should leave you alone here?" Kian asked.  
"I'm not alone. Shane's here" Nicky told him.  
Kian nodded then turned and left the room. Nicky watched him leave before turning the radio up and quietly singing along.

*-*

 

Kian walked out the front door and across the front yard. He pulled his keys from his pocket and climbed into his car. He started the car and took off, down the street. A black panel van was parked several meters down the road. Kian drove past it but saw no one inside. He shrugged and continued driving.

The back doors opened and Tobey and Kane climbed out. Kian's car had disappeared and they were ready to make their move.  
"You ready?" Tobey asked Kane.  
"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Kane asked.  
"Of course we are"  
"And Shane and Nicky are alone in the house?"  
"Yep. Now Shane is outside and Nicky is all alone in the house"  
"And Kian's gone?"  
"Right. But Bryan and Kerry should be here in half an hour or so"  
"So, what are we waiting for?"  
"Let's go"

Tobey and Kane approached the house. Tobey stopped and looked at his partner. The younger man had just placed another cigarette in his mouth.  
“Get rid of it!” Tobey hissed.  
“What?” Kane asked.   
Tobey reached out, pulled the cigarette from his friend’s mouth and tossed it on the ground.  
“Just open the door!” Tobey stated. Kane glared at Tobey but did as he was told. He slid the key into the lock and they quietly entered the house.  
"God bless Kian" Kane whispered. Kane was glad he had stolen Kians’ house key.

*-*

Nicky placed the chicken into the oven and closed it. He adjusted the timer and checked what time the chicken would be ready. He turned around and changed the radio station. Tobey and Kane quietly approached the Kitchen. They could hear the radio playing.   
Tobey took the lead and Kane fell in step behind him. Tobey slowly approached. Nicky's back was facing the door, completely oblivious to Tobey and Kane's approach. Nicky glanced up and looked out the window. Shane was in the backyard, riding Carlton Diamond. Despite knowing that Shane couldn't see him, Nicky smiled at him. 

Suddenly a hand clamped over Nicky's mouth, silencing him. Nicky's eyes widened in fear. He instantly began to struggle. Kane reached out and grabbed a knife from the counter. He handed it to Tobey who, in turn, placed the knife to Nicky's throat.

"You better stop struggling" Tobey threatened. "Or I'll slice your throat from ear to ear"  
Fear caused Nicky to stop struggling. 'That voice' Nicky thought. 'I've heard it before'.  
"Now, you be quiet" Tobey insisted. "And listen VERY carefully." The blonde nodded.  
"If you know what's good for you, and that boyfriend of yours, you'll get him to drop this stupid court case"  
Nicky shook his head. He struggled once more and Tobey loosened his grip on Nicky's mouth.

"Shane won't do that!" Nicky insisted.  
"Oh, he will" Tobey stated.  
"No. He's not stupid. You can't make him do that. He can't walk away from this!"  
"We won't make him. You will"  
"Never!"

Tobey tightened his grip on Nicky. Nicky instantly began to struggle once more. Tobey pushed the knife blade against Nicky's throat, threatening to kill him. Nicky knew it wouldn't take much for his attacker to slice his throat. Tobey began to drag Nicky towards the front door. Nicky contemplated calling out to Shane, but he knew Shane wouldn't be able to hear him. Kian had been right. He shouldn't have stayed alone in the house. Kane opened the front door and Tobey dragged Nicky outside.


	5. Chapter Four

It was at that moment that Bryan's car pulled up into the front yard, followed closely by Kian's car. Tobey and Kane instantly spotted the cars and realised their plan had been ruined. Tobey released Nicky and the two men took off, running. Kian jumped out of his car and began to run after them. The two men had had a head start. Kian was unable to catch them. Bryan and Kerry ran to Nicky's side.  
"Nicky?" Bryan asked. "Nix? Are you okay?"  
Nicky shook his head, burying his face in his hands. Kerry sat down beside Nicky and placed her hand on his shoulder.  
"Nicky? Where is Shane?" Bryan asked him.  
"He’s out back. Riding," Nicky whispered.  
"I'm gonna go get him" Bryan said to Kerry. "Can you stay here with Nix?"  
"Of course" Kerry told him. Bryan nodded before turning and running into the house.  
"Nicky?" Kerry whispered. "Are you okay?"  
"I didn't even try to stop them," Nicky sobbed.  
"Hey, it's okay. It's over now"  
Kian reappeared, slightly out of breath. He stopped by Bryan's car and pulled Molly from her car seat. He then approached them, handing Molly to Kerry.

A moment later, Shane and Bryan appeared. Shane ran to Nicky's side and fell to the ground beside him. He threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly.  
"Nicky?" Shane began. "Are you okay?"  
"No" Nicky told him.

Nicky closed his eyes and buried his face in Shane's chest. Shane held him close and lightly stroked Nicky's hair.  
"Shhh" Shane whispered. "It's okay, baby"  
"No, it's... Whoever they were..." Nicky began. "They... they want you to drop the case"  
"What?"  
"But you can't"  
"I can't?"  
"No. This case is important. You can't just drop it"  
"But... Nicky"  
"No. Those bastards have to pay for what they did to you"  
"Nix. I don't want anything to happen to you. If Bry and Kerry hadn't shown up when they did... you wouldn't been here right now"  
"I know"

Shane held Nicky tightly, trying to soothe him. Then, something crossed his mind.  
"Kian?" Shane began. "Where were you? You were suppose to be here, looking out for him"  
"No" Nicky told Shane. "It was my fault. I sent Kian on an errand"  
"You what?"  
"I thought it would be okay. I sent him to get something for me"  
"Ki. You left him, alone?"  
"He didn't want to. I made him, Shane. Don't be mad at Ki. It was my fault"  
"Sorry, Ki" Shane said to Kian. "So, what was the errand?" Shane asked. "What was so important that you put yourself in danger for it?"  
"You know what?" Nicky began. "Just forget it!"  
Nicky stood up and pushed past his friends. He ran back inside the house and slammed the front door shut. Shane watched him with a sinking heart. Kian walked back over to his car and opened the door. He pulled something from the car and walked back over to Shane. Kian handed Shane a tiny puppy. Shane stared down at the small dog in his arms and sighed. The tiny dog looked up at Shane before licking his face.   
"Happy anniversary, Shane" Kian snapped. "Love from Nicky"  
Shane smiled at the puppy before petting it softly. The dog whimpered and curled up on Shane's lap. He closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds. Shane noticed the dog's collar. He touched the dog's tag and read the puppy's name. 'Freddy'.  
Shane looked up at Kian, he instantly felt guilty. Nicky had bought him a present then sent Kian to pick it up. Shane had blamed Kian for leaving Nicky alone in the house.  
"I'm sorry, Ki" Shane said.  
"Its okay" Kian replied. "I know how you feel when it comes to Nicky and his safety"

Shane fell silent. He stared at the house and sighed. He averted his eyes and turned to his friends. He looked at each one in turn but they all remained silent.  
"I..." Shane began. "Uh... I'm gonna go, check on Nix. Make sure he's okay"  
Shane stood up. He scooped the puppy into his arms before turning and walking back into the house.

*-*-*-*-*

Shane opened the front door and walked inside the house. He assumed the older boy had gone upstairs. Shane quietly walked up the stairs. He reached the top of the staircase and paused. He wasn't too sure where, exactly, Nicky would be. He approached their room and quietly opened the door.  
Nicky was sitting on the bed, his arms hugging a pillow. Shane slowly entered the room and quietly approached him.   
Shane sat down on the bed beside the blonde, placing the puppy down in front of him. Nicky smiled down at the adorable puppy. He reached out and lightly petted him. Shane reached out and placed his hand on Nicky's shoulder.  
"Nix, please talk to me" Shane said.  
"I don't know what to say" Nicky whispered.  
"He's a cute little puppy," Shane told him, beginning with an easy subject. "He's very cute. Thank you"  
"He's adorable"  
"Nicky. I love you. And, can you please, just look at me?"

Nicky blinked several times before looking up. His eyes met Shane's. It was obvious that his love had been crying. A lot. Shane reached out and wiped a tear from Nicky's cheek.  
"I'm sorry, Nicky," Shane whispered.  
"You don't have to be" Nicky told him. "You didn't do anything wrong"  
"I shouldn't have been outside. I left you alone. I let you down"  
"You didn't"  
"I did. If Bry and Kerry hadn't shown up when they did, I would have lost you. And I wouldn't have even known it. I let you down; I wasn't there to protect you"  
"Shay, I don't want you to blame yourself. And, I don't want you to spend the rest of your life thinking that you have to constantly protect me. You have a life too. You should have been out there, riding. You were doing something that you love. And I don't want to take that away from you"

"Nix, Of course I love riding. But, compared to you... It's insignificant. You are more important to me than those horses. Don't get me wrong. I love my horses to bits. But you, you're the one I love. The one I want to be with. I know that I don't have to 'protect' you. But I want to. I need to know that you're safe"  
"I am safe, now. I am glad that it's over. But, there's nothing stopping them from coming back and trying again"  
"No. That won't happen. Because I'm not going to leave you alone anymore. It's obvious now that you're the one they want. They see you as a way of getting to me. And I won't allow that"  
"I don't want you turning your life upside down for me"  
"I won't be. Without you in my life, I wouldn't have one. You know I would do anything for you. You're safety is the most important thing right now. I know now, that they are after you but I won't let them have you"  
"Really?"  
"Of course. I'll die before I let anything bad happen to you"  
"Shane!" Nicky stared at Shane, tears rolling down his cheek. "Don't say stuff like that!"  
"I'm sorry, but it's the truth"

Nicky threw himself into Shane's arms. Shane held Nicky close. Not wanting to let go, from fear of loosing him. Nicky looked up at him and lightly kissed his lips. Shane lingered for a moment, returning the kiss.  
"Shane... Those two men... I... I know them, from somewhere. I just, I don't know where"  
"Shhhh. Hey, it's okay. They're not coming back. I promise"  
"I'm sorry, Shane. But you can't. If they want to come back, there's no stopping them. You can't promise me they won't come back. And, what's to stop them from taking you next time? What if they were after you but they found me instead?"  
"No. They knew you were inside alone. They... They must have been watching the house. They just, probably hadn't counted on Bry and Ker showing up"  
"It's just that, I don't wanna loose you, baby"  
Nicky threw his arms around Shane and held him close. Nicky found great comfort in Shane's words. He didn't want to imagine his life without Shane.

Shane hugged Nicky close. He didn't want to imagine his life without Nicky either. He knew this was the perfect time to give Nicky his present, to ask him to marry him. From fear of not wanting to loose it, he had left it inside during the ride. Shane cursed himself.  
"Nicky..." Shane began. "I... "  
"Hey" Nicky interrupted. "Did you hear that? Mark and the others are here"  
Nicky grabbed Shane's hand and dragged him from the room.


	6. Chapter Five

When Shane and Nicky reached the Living room, they could hear music coming from the stereo, while Kian, Bryan, Kerry, Mark, Bobby and Jade were all seated in various chairs or on the floor. Mark was seated on the couch, Jade was beside him and Bobby was on the floor in front of them. Kian was in 'his' chair while Bryan and Kerry were sitting on the floor. Kerry was holding Molly in her arms.  
Nicky sat down on the floor, several meters away from Bryan and Kerry, and Shane sat down in front of him. Shane placed Freddy on the floor beside them and leaned back, resting his back against Nicky's chest. Nicky wrapped his arms around Shane and held him close.

"We heard about what happened" Mark began. "Nicky, are you okay?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine now," Nicky told him.  
"Well, they say bad things come in threes.... it should be over now" Kerry spoke up.  
"What?" Shane asked.  
"First, Shane was threatened in that shop..."

"Then someone broke in to our apartment..." Jade spoke up, glancing at Mark. “But I don’t really think it was related. Just a burglary gone wrong”  
“Was anything taken?” Kerry asked her.  
“No, but most of my equipment was destroyed”

"So, that’s two” Kian spoke up. “And the attack on Nicky today makes three”  
"What? So that’s it, it's all over? I don't think so," Shane said. "These people wanted something. That's why they were here"  
"They wanted you to drop the case," Nicky told him.  
"And that's something I can't do" Shane replied. "I... I have to go check on dinner"  
Shane pulled away from Nicky's embrace and stood up. He turned and left the room without looking back. Kian was the first to jump up and follow him.

*-*

Kian found Shane in the Kitchen. He was standing in front of the sink with his face buried in his hands.

"Shane?" Kian began. "Are you okay?"  
"I just want Nicky to be okay," Shane told him. "I want him to be safe. I let him down today, If Bryan and Kerry hadn't shown up when they did.... Nicky could have been taken, or killed"  
"But he wasn't"  
"I can't take that risk! Nicky is the most important person in my life. I'll die before I let anything bad happen to him. But, it's because of me that his life is in danger"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"Those people who came here today... They were involved in my kidnapping. I know they were... Nicky got hurt back then because of me and I don't want it to happen again"  
"Shane, you shouldn't blame yourself"  
"Why not? If I didn't love him so much, he wouldn't have been hurt in the first place"  
"SHANE!!"  
"Kian, he was raped because of me! I let that happen. It was because I loved him that they went after him. They wanted to hurt me. They knew how I felt about him and they wanted to hurt me, so they used him to do it. And, I don't want that to happen again!"  
Kian slowly approached Shane. He pulled him into a hug and tried to calm him down.

 

"Shhhh" Kian whispered. "It's going to be okay"  
"You don't know that. I don't want him to get hurt"  
"Hey, he can take care of himself"

"I want to take care of him"  
"You do. And he looks out for you. You need him as much as he needs you. But, what happened to him wasn't your fault. You can't keep blaming yourself"  
"IT WAS MY FAULT!!" Shane shouted, pulling away from Kian.  
"Shhh" Kian hissed, "The music isn't that loud in there..."  
"I keep putting him in danger" Shane finished.  
"But he doesn't see it that way" Kian told him. "He loves you. He wants to be with you. And... And even if he does feel that way... He knows the risk. But he loves you. Can't you see that?"

"What am I going to do?" Shane asked him.  
"I don't know" Kian admitted.  
"I don't wanna be responsible for putting his life in danger. I want to keep him out of this. I don't want him to get hurt. If word ever got out that we're engaged, his life will be in even more danger"  
"Whoa! Back up! Engaged?"  
"I... I bought him an engagement ring..."  
"Really? When are you going to ask him?"  
"I don't know. I just, I just think I should wait. At least until the trial is over. But, the more I think about it, the more scared I get"

"Shane, You and Nicky belong together. You're happy together. You deserve to be happy. And, I know that Nicky makes you happy. I also know that you're scared. You don't want him to get hurt. The... The fact is he might get hurt. Any one of us could. But, look at it this way... Forget about the court case, forget about what happened to you and to Nicky"  
"But... Why?"  
"Just think about your feelings for him. If you can push everything aside and just think about your relationship. And remember how happy you are with Nicky. Then, I want you to look at that ring and make a decision. You look at that ring and decide how you feel about him. You can't let the past haunt you. If you want to be with him, if you want to marry him... Then all you have to do is ask yourself, 'Do you love him'? And I think we both know what your answer will be"

*-*

When Kian returned to the living room, Kerry was sitting on the floor beside Nicky. She had given Molly to Nicky, trying to take his mind off Shane. Molly stared up at Nicky with her curious eyes and she giggled. Kian spotted at tiny smile on Nicky's lips. Nicky tore his gaze away from Molly and looked up at Kian.   
"Is he alright?" Nicky asked him.  
"I don't know" Kian admitted. I think he just needs some time. I mean it's a lot to take in. This is hard for him"  
"Do you think he'll be okay?"  
"Nicky, I'm sure Shane will be fine" Kerry began. "He's been through a lot. And we all know that you mean the world to him and he doesn't want anything to happen to you"

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Nicky asked her.  
"Shane knows that he almost lost you today. And, I think he's just coming to terms with it"  
"Shane's not going to loose me. I'm not going anywhere. Especially not without him"  
"Just, try to be patient with him. He's been through a lot. He's probably just upset"  
"I just wanna know that he's okay"

Kerry smiled at Nicky. She placed her arm around him and hugged him. She glanced down at her daughter, who in turn, smiled up at Nicky. Nicky smiled at Molly, she meant the world to Bryan and Kerry. Shane meant the world to Nicky.  
"You mean the world to Shane. He would be inconsolable if anything happened to you" Kerry said.  
"I'm just worried about him. He cares more about me than he does about himself. I'd hate for something to happen to him because of me"  
"I'm sure he feels the same way"  
"Yeah. I guess"

Movement from behind Nicky caught Kerry’s attention and she looked up. Jade was adjusting the lens of her camera. She stood up and moved closer. She turned the camera on and pointed it at Nicky and Molly. She snapped a picture of the two of them and placed the camera on the table. She instantly picked it up again and checked to see how many frames were left. Nicky looked up at Jade then cast his gaze over her shoulder. Shane was standing in the doorway. Jade adjusted the camera to take another photo but Nicky stopped her.  
"Wait," Nicky said. "Shane, please?"  
Shane smiled and walked over to Nicky. He sat down behind Nicky and wrapped his arms around him. Nicky lay back against Shane and smiled up at him. She snapped two photos of the couple with Molly before putting the camera aside.  
"The three of you look so cute together," Kerry told them. She reached out and took her daughter from Nicky, hugging her close.

It was at this moment that Shane had another thought. Nicky had looked so happy, holding baby Molly. Shane knew all along that Nicky longed to have kids of his own. If Nicky were to spend the rest of his life with Shane, then Shane would be robbing him of his chance to have kids.  
"Excuse me" Shane said. "I have to... Go check on dinner"  
"Again?" Nicky asked. Shane gently slid out from behind him. He stood up and made a quick exit. Kian quickly followed him again.

"Shane?" Kian began. "What's wrong now?" Shane quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before turning around and looking at Kian.  
"Nothing"  
"Then why aren't you checking on dinner, like you said you would?"  
"I... I was just about to"  
"No, you weren't. Come on Shane. Tell me what's wrong now"  
"I just can't do it. I can't ask him to throw away his future. You heard Kerry. He'd make an amazing father. We all know that he's always wanted kids. Who am I to take that away from him?"  
"GOD! Will you wake up to yourself, Shane? Stop thinking of excuses. Do you love him or not?"  
"Of course I love him, more than you realize"  
"Then wake up to yourself and propose to him"


	7. Chapter Six

Back in the living room, Kerry was still talking to Nicky about kids. Kerry was smiling at Molly as Nicky watched both of them closely.  
"Well, it's no secret that I've always wanted kids" Nicky told her. "But, right now... Shane is the one and only priority in my life"  
"And, you think that'll stop you from having kids?"  
"Maybe. But I don't care. If I had to choose between having kids or having Shane... There's no doubt in my mind. Shane would win. Hands down, he's all I've ever wanted. All I'll ever need. As long as I'm with him, nothing else matters"  
"Wow. You must really love him"  
"I do. I really do"

*-*

Less than an hour later, the group (plus Molly) were seated around the large dinning room table. A fantastic three-course meal covered their plates. Once each person had been served, Bryan stood up and raised his glass.  
"Before we begin" Bryan began. "I'd just like to thank Shane and Nicky for the meal and for inviting us over on their anniversary... It's been a full year. Twelve months ago Shane and Nicky were official. But, it wasn't until eight months ago that we actually found out about it. These past few months haven't been easy for us. Especially for Shane and Nicky. But they're still together and everything that's happened has bought them closer together and made their relationship stronger. So, I'd just like to say... here's to twelve long months together and hopefully many more to come. Now, I'd like everyone to raise their glasses..."  
Bryan looked at each person in turn until all glasses had been raised.  
"Here's to Shane and Nicky" Bryan finished.  
"Shane & Nicky" The remaining adults echoed, holding up their glasses in honour of the happy couple.

Once they had toasted the couple, Kerry stood up and looked at Bryan. He slid his arm around her waist and slowly nodded.  
"Shane. Nicky" Kerry began. "Bryan and I have been talking about this a lot. Now that Molly's here, she's changed our lives. Not just mine and Bryan's lives but the lives of everyone in this room. And, one of the most important decisions we've had to make, has been the easiest" Kerry paused and sighed. "It may have been an easy decision, I mean there was never any doubt in my mind or Bryan's.... I mean I'm just so happy and excited. I... I'm babbling now"   
"What Kerry is trying to say," Bryan interrupted.  
"We would be so happy," Kerry said.  
"Honoured" Bryan corrected her.  
"We would be honoured if the two of you would be Molly's godparents" Bryan and Kerry finished in unison.

"What?" Shane asked. "Are you serious?"  
"Never been more serious in our lives," Bryan told him.  
"I... We don't know what to say" Shane said. Nicky was speechless.  
Shane reached out and took Nicky's hand in his own. Shane smiled warmly at his love. As Bryan's words sank in, Nicky couldn't stop a smile from forming on his own lips.

"Just say yes," Kerry said.  
"We... we'd love to" Nicky finally managed to say.  
Nicky threw his arms around Shane and hugged him close. Shane closed his eyes and returned the loving embrace. 'Do it now! Do it now!' Shane's mind was screaming.

Shane pulled away from Nicky and lightly kissed him. After breaking the kiss, Shane stepped back and looked around the room.   
"Oh! Nobody move. I'll be right back"  
Shane ran out of the room at top speed, he shot up the stairs and ran into their bedroom. He located a small jewellery box then raced back downstairs. When he reached the dinning room, he paused to change the CD in the player. He selected a track then returned to the meal.

As Ronan Keating's voice softly filled the room, Shane approached Nicky and took his hand. He was slightly out of breath from his mad dash but he didn't care.  
"Nicky" He began. "I love you so much"  
"I love you too" Nicky interrupted.  
Shane slowly dropped to his knee and opened a tiny jewellery box. He held the ring box out to Nicky and looked up at him.  
"Nicky Byrne, will you marry me?" Shane asked.  
"I... Shane..." Nicky stammered.  
"Nicky... I love you. I always have and I always will. And I would be the happiest man on earth, even happier than Bryan, if you would marry me"  
"Shane... I..." Nicky began. "I love you and of course I'll marry you"

Nicky reached out and took Shane's hand. He pulled Shane to his feet and pulled him into a loving embrace. Shane returned the hug and lightly brushed his lips against Nicky's. Several seconds passed before Shane pulled away. He removed the ring from the box and took Nicky's hand in his own. He slid the ring on Nicky's finger and smiled at him. The older boy wrapped his arms around Shane and kissed him deeply.  
Neither of them saw Jade reach for her camera and snap two shots of the couple. She smiled to herself as she captured this moment on film.

*-*-*-*-*

"I asked Nicky to marry me"  
Doctor Katherine Robins closed her folder and held back a smile. She was seated in her chair, her back to the room as she stared out the window. She raised her arm and glanced at her watch.   
11-08am.  
"Only ten minutes late today" She replied.  
"That's got to be a new record"  
"We'll see"  
"So?"  
"So... What?"  
Katherine slowly turned her chair around, tearing her gaze away from the window and facing her patient. Shane Filan was standing in front of her desk. Before she could say anything else, he sat down in the chair opposite hers.  
"I asked Nicky to marry me," Shane said again. He stared at her expectantly, as though waiting for a reaction. She opened a folder and flicked through several pages.  
"You missed your appointment on Tuesday morning," She said.  
"I know," He told her. "I had a bit of a scare the day before... I thought Nicky was in trouble. I didn't feel like going anywhere"  
"Was he okay?"  
"Yeah"   
"Speaking of Nicky, I've been thinking about the two of you and I was wondering... Maybe it's time we tried another joint session... Last time, we made some progress and it's better for the two of you to talk it through.... And, like you just said, you asked him to marry you"

"Oh, so you did hear me? I thought you were just loosing your hearing"  
"My hearing is fine. Of course I've never had a patient that talks as much as you do. Except that you talk about Nicky more often than you talk about yourself"  
"What exactly are you saying?"  
"Nothing. You're the patient... You do the talking, I'm just here to listen"  
"What do you wanna know today?"

Katherine flicked through her folder once more and checked a few notes from her previous sessions. As his shrink, she had come to know him pretty well over the past few months. He had come a long way since the first time she had met him. She could easily see why Nicky loved him so much.  
Shane was quite a character. He liked to talk but not so much about what happened. He would talk for a while, then change the subject for a while then return to his original topic. Sometimes he would slip off into his own little world and not pay any attention to the world around him or the people in it.   
Katherine looked up from her notes and stared at Shane for a moment. She remembered something Nicky had accidentally mentioned during one of their sessions and she wondered if she could mention it. She decided to ease into the subject.

"How is your relationship with Nicky at the moment?" She asked him.  
"I'm not sure" Shane began. He knew he could trust her. She was not only helping him, but Nicky too. She was a good person with a kind heart and would never force him to talk about something he didn't want to. He knew he could never lie to her.  
"Nicky and I have had a few ups and downs over the past few days" Shane finished.  
"What kind of ups and downs?"  
"Some people broke in to our house and tried to take Nicky"  
"Shane... I'm so sorry"  
"Kian showed up with Bryan and Kerry as they were taking him away. They saw what was happening and the kidnappers took off. Kian tried to follow them but they disappeared"  
"Did you call the garda?"  
"Yeah. But they can't really do anything. We changed all the locks in the house and changed our security codes but they doubt they'll find them. Nicky didn't see their faces...."   
Shane trailed off. He took a deep breath and slowly released it. He was trying to compose himself, not wanting to cry.

"Shane?"  
"I was outside the whole time. I didn't even know it was happening... He could have been taken or even killed and I couldn't have stopped it"  
"Shane... You weren't to know"  
"I don't want to loose him... I can't loose him"  
"Is that why you proposed to him?"  
"Kinda. But I love him and I wanna be with him for the rest of my life. I had been thinking about it for a little while. I was going to wait until after the whole trial was over but the perfect opportunity came up..."  
"And, he said yes?"  
"Of course"  
"Did... did he hesitate or anything? Or did he just say yes?"  
"Well, he was a bit shocked. He hadn't been expecting it. He just smiled and said yes straight away"   
"Then, congratulations... I know the two of you will be very happy together... Uh... There's one more thing..." Katherine sighed. "I don't know if you'd feel comfortable talking about it, but..."  
"Kath... What is it?"  
"You and Nicky have been together for what? A year? And, your relationship has never been... sexual. Right?"  
"Uh... ye... yeah. We haven't..."  
"Why do you think that is?"  
"I don't... I don't wanna push him too much. I didn't want to scare him. And I, We... We just want to wait until we're both ready"  
"You shouldn't try to force or will it to happen. When the time is right and you're both ready and prepared, it'll happen"  
"I know. I... I worry about him and how he might react"  
"Why is that? Why do you have more concern for his feelings rather than your own?"

Shane paused, thinking for a minute. He looked up at her and frowned. He wasn't entirely sure, but her question had confused him. He searched his mind for an answer. When he happened across one, he wondered if it was suitable enough.  
"When... When I was taken" Shane began. "I wasn't really prepared for what happened but I found out quickly enough. On the first night I was there, Bobby hinted at what was to come and... I know you can't really prepare yourself for something as horrid as that but... I guess I knew it was coming and it didn't scare me as much. I mean, I was terrified but I knew it was coming. Each time, I knew it was coming"

Shane paused and glanced at Katherine. She was nodding very slightly, as though understanding his response. He decided to continue.  
"But Nicky," Shane added. "Nicky had been asleep. He had no idea of what was to come. What fate had waiting for him. He was sleeping, just trying to make it through the night. And he was woken up by a stranger in a mask holding a knife to his throat. It was happening to him before he was even aware of what was going on. I know that isn't much of an answer but... I think it's the best I can do"  
Shane's mood was beginning to darken. Under the circumstances, Katherine realized she could change the subject and try to keep him in something resembling a cheerful mood.  
"That's okay..." She told him. "So tell me more about your proposal.... Was the ring an anniversary present?"


	8. Chapter Seven

"Shane still not back yet?" Nicky asked.  
"Nope" Kian told him. Nicky nodded. He bent down and scooped Freddy into his arms and smiled down at the small dog. Freddy whimpered for a moment before calming down and closing his eyes.  
"I swear, this dog loves Shane more than he loves me,” Nicky stated.  
"He hates me. I tried to feed him this morning and he tried to bite me"  
"The dog or Shane?"  
"The dog of course"

Kian continued talking but Nicky tuned out. He glanced down at his hand and stared at his engagement ring. It was beautiful... Just like Shane. He held back a smile and sighed. He couldn't believe how lucky he was.  
"What?" Kian asked, sensing Nicky's happiness.  
"I was just thinking" Nicky replied. "About how perfect life is right now. Everything in my life is perfect. My friends.... You, Bry, Mark, My family. And Shane.... Everything we have... I love him so much... Right now, I feel like I'm on top of the world and nothing could possibly ruin it"

*-*-*-*-*

Tobey held back a smirk and turned up the sound. He stared at the small radio in his hand. The tiny 'bug' they had left at Shane and Nicky's house was working like a charm. Nicky was starting to feel safe and happy once more.... Nicky's voice ran out from the speakers and Tobey held back a laugh.  
"Oh Nicky" Tobey said. "You have no idea how wrong you are..."

*-*-*-*-*

Shane unlocked the front door and entered his house. He dropped his keys on the table and closed the door behind him. Freddy came running down the hall and skidded to a halt in front of him. He leaned over and scooped the puppy into his arms.  
"Hey Freddy" Shane said. "Have you been a god boy while I was gone?"  
Freddy whimpered. Shane removed his jacket and hung it up in the hall closet. He then made his way down the hall and into the Kitchen. Nicky and Kian were sitting at the table. Kian was talking to someone on the phone.

Kian looked up and nodded at Shane. Nicky smiled at him. Shane walked over to the blonde and placed his hand on his shoulder before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Shane pulled away and sat down in the chair beside Nicky's. He shot a 'who's he talking to?' look at his lover. The blonde smiled and whispered 'Louis'. Shane nodded and continued petting Freddy.

Several minutes later, Kian hung up the phone and turned to Shane and Nicky. He sighed and cleared his throat.  
"Uh, Louis wanted to see how you two were going" Kian began.  
"We're okay," Nicky said.  
"I know. That's what I told him. He just wanted to make sure the two of you were okay. I uh... I didn't tell him about your engagement though. I thought I should leave it up to you"  
"We will tell him. Just not yet"  
"I know"

*-*-*-*-*

Later that afternoon, Shane and Nicky were sitting together on the porch swing in the backyard. Nicky's head was resting on Shane's shoulder while the younger boy watched several of his horses out in the field.

"Nicky" Shane began. "I think we need to talk"  
"About what?" Nicky asked.  
"About us"  
"Why? What's wrong with us?"  
"Nothing is wrong. I just..." Shane sighed. "I won't lie to you Nix. I love you and I feel like I'm ready to take our relationship further"  
"You mean... Make love?"  
"Yeah..."  
Nicky averted his eyes, he glanced down at the bracelet on his wrist and he began to play with it... Unsure of what to say to Shane.  
"I know," Shane continued. "I know that you don't feel very comfortable talking about this but we need to...."

Nicky placed his lips on Shane's, cutting off his sentence. The brunette hesitated for a second before returning the kiss. They kissed for several minutes, until the blonde pulled away.  
"I know Shane" Nicky replied. "And I want to"  
"Talk about it?"  
"No. Do it but I'm scared"  
"Scared of what?"  
"I... I'm scared of disappointing you. Of letting you down"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"What if I'm not any good at it? You wouldn't leave me, would you?"  
"Never; and there's no way you could possibly be bad at it. You're perfect at everything"  
"Shay..."  
"Nix, I'm not going to pressure you into this. If you're not ready then I understand. One day our relationship will become sexual but until then, things are okay the way they are. I'm in no rush to do something that neither of us is ready for. I'll wait as long as I have to. But I don't want you to feel that you have to do so just for me"  
"You really mean that?"  
"Of course I do"  
"I love you, Shane"  
Nicky threw his arms around Shane and hugged him. Shane enveloped him in a hug and smiled. At least that was sorted for the time being.

The sun was slowly setting as the couple held each other close. Shane reached up and lightly ran his hand through Nicky's blonde hair. The smile on his face continued to grow. He stared down at his lover, never wanting this moment to end.

*-*-*-*-*

Once they re-entered the house, they were greeted with a sink full off dishes. After arguing for a few minutes over who would wash and who would dry, the couple set to work cleaning up. Kian exited the bathroom after a nice long shower and stuck his head into the room. He smiled at the sight that greeted him. Shane was cleaning up while Nicky supervised. Meaning, Nicky distracted him so much that hardly anything actually got cleaned.

Shane and Nicky were standing in front of the sink, fighting over a cloth. They appeared to be arguing over who would wash the dishes and who would dry them. They were too engrossed in their tug-of-war with the cloth that they didn't see Kian standing in the doorway.

The older boy grabbed the cloth from Shane and took off, running towards the door. Shane leaped forward and grabbed the blonde's arm. He grabbed the cloth and tried to pull it from his grasp. Nicky broke free of Shane's hold and shot out the door. The brunette instantly followed.

Kian couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes they could act so... so childish. He stood there for a few minutes before he realized that the place had gone quiet. He headed for the door and peered into the dinning room. He could see right past the table and into the living room. Shane appeared to have caught Nicky and the couple were now kissing.  
The cloth lay discarded and forgotten on the floor beside them. Kian held back a giggle and decided to leave them in peace. He picked up the cordless phone and wondered back into his room to make a call.

Shane and Nicky were still in the living room. The older boy finally pulled away from his lover and picked up the cloth. Shane smirked and tried to grab the cloth from him.  
"Nicky!" Shane grinned.  
"Naughty. Naughty" Nicky replied.  
Shane leaped forward once more and pushed him onto the couch. The blonde giggled as Shane pinned him to the cushions and held him down. Shane leaned down and softly kissed him. His lover quickly returned the kiss.

Several seconds passed before the blonde began to feel uncomfortable. He began to squirm but Shane didn't notice. He was pinned down so tight that he couldn't move. Nicky began to panic. The next few seconds passed in a blur.   
Nicky began to struggle, throwing the brunette off guard. Shane stared down at Nicky and saw the amount of fear in his eyes. He immediately tried to release him but he slipped. The two men slid off the couch and hit the ground, pulling the cushions down with them.  
Shane quickly jumped up and helped the terrified blonde to his feet.  
"I'm so sorry" Shane began. Nicky shook his head and looked at him.  
"No. I shouldn't have..." Nicky began. He broke off into a fit of giggles. 

Shane stared at him for a few seconds before joining in. After they managed to compose themselves, they fixed up the couch and returned to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

*-*

After the kitchen had been cleaned, Nicky headed upstairs to shower while Shane wondered around downstairs. He found himself standing at the door to the Study. He shrugged and opened the door before going inside. A box beside the desk caught his eye and he walked over to it. He dropped to the floor and stared at the box. He reached out and opened the lid. It was full of paper. More importantly, it was full of photocopies. Photocopies of the files from his kidnapping. With the court date nearing, Shane had requested copies of the files. Officer Readen had been hesitant but eventually he had agreed. But, Shane couldn't bring himself to read any of them.

Shane closed the box and pushed it aside. He stood up and walked over to the door. He turned back once more and looked at the box. He was suddenly overcome with the urge to read some of them.  
He crossed the room again and sat down in front of the box. He opened it and picked up one of the files, staring at the cover but not quite ready to open it.

"Shane?"

Shane looked up and saw his love standing in the doorway, dressed in boxers and a t-shirt.  
"What are you doing in here?" Nicky asked him.  
"Nothing; I was just looking for a book," Shane told him.  
"Did you find it?"  
"No. But it wasn't important"  
Shane closed the box, pushed it back under the desk and followed Nicky from the room.

*-*

When Shane finished his shower, he returned to his room to find Nicky still awake. He climbed into bed beside him. The blonde moved closer and snuggled up beside Shane. He leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Nicky smiled up at him so Shane leaned forward again, this time kissing his nose. As Shane leaned down once more, the blonde shifted so Shane's lips met with his own. The couple shared several long, gentle kisses before either of them spoke.

"Shay?" Nicky whispered.  
"What's wrong, baby?" Shane replied.  
"I've been thinking about what you said earlier... And, I think I am ready. If you still are"  
"What?"  
"I... I want you to make love to me"


	9. Chapter Eight

"Are you sure?" Shane asked him, his voice barely audible.  
"I want you to hold me," Nicky began. "To love me..."  
"I'm scared," Shane whispered.  
"I know," Nicky agreed. "I am too. But I trust you. I love you and I know you would never hurt me"  
"We can take it slow" Shane told him. He leaned forward and lightly kissed his lips. "What did I do to deserve a fiance as understanding and compassionate as you?" he asked.  
"Well, whatever it was... I must have done it too. I'm lucky to have found you" the blonde replied.  
"Now that I have you..." Shane continued.  
"I'm never going to let you go" Nicky finished.

Shane decided to make the first move. He slowly leaned forward and placed a soft, gentle kiss on Nicky's lips. The blonde smiled and briefly returned the gesture. His hand slowly sneaked its way behind Shane's neck, keeping their lips locked together. The younger man timidly ran the tip of his tongue across his fiancé’s lower lip. He paused for a second, allowing Nicky the opportunity to pull away, before repeating this action on the upper lip. He felt the lips parting and dared to slide his tongue into the opening. Nicky's mouth was warm and moist, new territory for Shane. While they had French-kissed before, this time it was different. It felt more intimate and important. This time around it was build-up to their first sexual experience. This time around, it meant more to both of them.

Shane slowly pulled away and looked down at Nicky. His lips were full, almost to a pout and Shane smiled at him. God, he loved this man so much. He leaned down and lightly kissed his skin. His nose. His cheek. His chin. His neck. Shane's hand slowly crept to the base of Nicky's shirt.  
"I'm going to be very gentle and we'll go very slowly," Shane whispered.  
"I know. I trust you" Nicky replied. 

Shane gripped the base of the blonde's shirt and slowly pulled it up over his head. He pushed the shirt aside and paused for a few seconds, once again giving the blonde a chance to say 'stop'. Nicky didn't say anything. He didn't move either. Shane looked at him, concerned. He was afraid that he had done something to upset or frighten his love. He was aware that Nicky had had sex with a man before while he, Shane, hadn't. But Shane did have a fairly good idea of what to do (and what not to do).  
Nicky reached for the waistband of his boxers and slowly began to remove them. Shane reached out and placed his hand over Nicky's, pulling his hand away from his boxers and shaking his head.

"No, not yet, baby" Shane whispered. "I want you to unbutton my shirt. Can you do that? I mean do you want to?"  
Nicky nodded. He smiled up at Shane before trailing his hand up Shane's chest. Once he reached the first button, he paused. Shane wondered if Nicky was hesitating.

He sat up opposite Shane and moved closer, until he was sitting in Shane's lap. He reached up and carefully undid the top button on his pyjamas. With his right hand, he parted the material and leaned forward, softly kissing the newly exposed flesh. His left hand moved on to the second button and he followed suit. As he undid each button, he would kiss the flesh as it became available.

Once the shirt was unbuttoned, Nicky reached up and pushed it down off his shoulders, removing it completely. The couple paused once again, holding each other close, their bare chests melding together.  
Shane paused longer than it was necessary. He sat quietly, listening to the sound of Nicky's breathing. He was ready to stop the second the older boy wanted to.  
"Are you okay?" Shane whispered.  
"Yes. Please, don't stop now" Nicky replied.

Shane lightly ran his hand down his lover's bare back until he reached the waistband of his boxers. He could feel the bulge in Nicky's pants getting bigger and smiled. He knew he must be doing something right. He slowly pushed the blonde onto his back on the bed and slowly removed the boxers.  
As Nicky lay on the bed beneath Shane, his naked body displayed so beautifully, Shane's breathe caught in his throat. God, Nicky was gorgeous.

Nicky took his lover's pause as a sign of hesitation and immediately thought something was wrong. He tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to form in his eyes.  
"What?" Nicky choked. "What's wrong with me?"  
"Oh, baby" Shane whispered. "Nothing's wrong with you. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen"  
Nicky dared to look up at Shane and could see the honesty in his eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief and placed a single kiss on the younger boy's lips.

"Nix," Shane whispered. "I want you to remove my pants, okay? Just like I did to you... Can you do that for me?"  
The blonde nodded. He slowly ran his hand down Shane's chest. His ring grazed against Shane's nipple, instantly hardening it. The younger boy groaned and Nicky removed his hand.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" Nicky asked.  
"No. It's okay" Shane replied. "You just did this"

Shane gripped one of Nicky's pecks between his thumb and forefinger and lightly squeezed it. He felt it harden in his grip and he smiled. Nicky's hands resumed their task of removing Shane's pants and it wasn't long before the two lads were both completely naked on the bed.  
The brunette pulled his lover close, pulling the blonde onto his chest. Nicky stared down at Shane and slowly kissed him. Their hardness’s rubbed against each other, sending exciting shivers down both their spines.

"Did you want me to....” Shane began.  
"To what?" Nicky asked.  
"Well, to... to suck you?"  
"Shhh. I just... I want to know what it feels like to have you inside me"  
"I may hurt you"  
"Not intentionally... But I understand"

Shane reached out his hand until he found the handle of the drawer beside the bed. He opened a draw and located a condom and some lubricant. He didn't want anything to go wrong and he wanted to make this as easy as he could for Nicky.  
"Nicky," Shane whispered. "I need you to lie on your back. Okay?"  
Nicky nodded as Shane gently rolled him over. Shane opened the tube and applied a large amount to his finger.  
"I'm going to insert one finger, okay?" Shane whispered. He showed his finger to Nicky. 

The blonde hesitated for a second before slowly nodding. Shane applied some lube to Nicky's entrance before slowly inserting his finger. He saw the blonde flinch and his first instinct was to pull out but he feared that would hurt his lover even more. Several seconds passed before Nicky's body began to relax. He slowly began to work his finger in and out of the blonde's anus.

"I'm going to add a second finger, okay?" Shane asked. Nicky smiled at him then nodded. Shane added more lube before sliding his second finger into his lover. Shane diverted his attention from Nicky's face to his hard-on.

As his body began to relax from his fingers, his cock would grow harder. He applied more lube to his third finger before looking deeply into Nicky's eyes.  
"Another!" Nicky gasped. "Please?"

Shane smiled and inserted his third lubricated finger. A low moan escaped the blonde's lips and he smiled down at him. He couldn't believe they were finally here. At this moment in their relationship... It felt like they had been avoiding it for more than eight months. He handed the condom to Nicky and smiled down at him.

"Go on. Open it" Shane urged, wanting Nicky to be aware of what was happening to him and what Shane was going to do. Nicky opened the package and removed the condom.  
"I'm pulling my fingers out, okay baby?" Shane said. Nicky nodded and he slowly removed his fingers. The blonde found himself feeling empty at Shane's exit. He then slid the condom onto Shane's penis before kissing him. His lover shifted his weight and positioned himself in between Nicky's thighs. He parted the blonde's legs wider and moved closer. Not wanting to take any chances, He applied a little more lube to the older boy.  
"I'm going to enter you, okay?" Shane whispered.

"Please!" Nicky gasped. Shane slowly slid the head into Nicky. He once again felt Nicky's body tense. Once he was in, he paused allowing his love's body to adjust to him. He reached forward and took Nicky's hand in his own. The blonde pulled Shane's hand to his lips and kissed it. The younger boy slowly inched his cock in a little further.

"More" Nicky whispered.  
"Are you sure?"   
"Yes." Shane pushed himself in further. He saw the blonde wince in pain and gasped.  
"Nicky, baby. Did that hurt?"  
"Yes"  
"I'm so sorry"  
"No. It felt good"

Shane slowly began to thrust into Nicky. His heart was pounding as he watched his fiancé gasp, moan and buck beneath him. He reached out and placed his hand on Nicky's cheek. The blonde opened his eyes and his gaze locked with Shane's. No words could be exchanged right now. Neither boy could think of any words to describe the sensations this was causing.  
Shane thrust forward and found Nicky's prostate. His lover bit his lip to hold back a scream. The last thing they needed was for Kian to think they were in trouble and come running into the room. Shane's orgasm was quickly approaching. He reached out and took Nicky's hardness into his hand, matching his stokes with his thrusts. It didn't take long for the blonde to shoot his load all over Shane's hand.  
Their eyes locked as Nicky's orgasm hit. The love and compassion in his blue eyes was enough to send Shane over the edge and he came deep inside the older boy.

Shane pulled out of Nicky as the couple came down from their high. Shane located a paper bag and tossed the used condom inside. He raised his cum-covered hand to his face and began to lick Nicky's juices off it. The blonde pulled the blanket up and buried himself under it, snuggling his body close to Shane.

"Shane" Nicky gasped, still trying to catch his breath.  
"Yeah baby?" Shane asked.  
"Thank you"  
"For what?"  
"For everything. For being you, for doing the things you do, for making me feel the way you do and.... and for loving me"   
"Thank you for letting me do those things, for letting me make you feel that way... And thank you for loving me as much as I love you"


	10. Chapter Nine

The following morning, Kian knew something had changed. He didn't need to ask but he knew something had happened between Shane and Nicky. Something good, not bad.  
When they appeared in the morning, ready for breakfast they had both been a lot happier than he could remember seeing them... Ever. He held back a smile, not wanting them to question him. He didn't want them to know that he knew what had happened between them.

As soon as Kian had sat down to breakfast, the phone rang. He answered it before it's second ring. It was Nicky's mother. After talking to her for a few minutes, he took the phone to the older boy.  
"Nicky, it's your mother," Kian said, as he handed him the phone.  
"Hi mam," Nicky began.  
Shane stood up and walked over to the refrigerator. He opened it and began to rummage for something. Kian half-watched him while listening to Nicky on the phone.  
"That's too bad," Nicky said. "Uh, tonight? I don't know. I don't think we have plans"  
Nicky shot a look at Shane, silently asking him for an answer. Kian waved his arm to get Nicky's attention. The blonde covered the mouthpiece and looked at Kian.  
"I invited Bry and Mark to dinner" Kian told him. Nicky nodded and returned to his phone call.  
"Sorry mam, the lads are coming over tonight... No, I guess not. Really? Sure, we don't mind. We'd love for you to come too! Okay, we'll see you tonight.... Six sounds fine. Bye Mam"

Nicky hung up the phone and sighed. Shane closed the refrigerator and crossed the room, stopping beside the confused blonde.  
"How does she do it?" Nicky asked. Shane smiled and slid his arms around his lover's waist. "She can always get a dinner invite out of me"  
"I thought your parents were on vacation,” Shane said.  
"They were. The place they were going to got rained out and they're coming home. So they decided that they wanted to come around and see me"  
"Should have eloped tonight" Shane joked.  
"Don't you like my parents?"  
"Of course I do. I was just, I was kinda looking forward to a quiet night with the lads"  
"Ha! There's no such thing as a 'quiet night with the lads'. You know that"  
"You're right. Are Gill and Adam coming too?"  
"I think Adam is. I don't know about Gill"  
"Great. So, what are we going to cook to feed us five lads plus Kerry, Jade, Bobby, Adam and your parents?"  
"Pizza anyone?"

*-*-*-*-*

The night turned out better than Nicky had expected. He had won the argument over what to have for dinner and they had ordered enough pizza to feed a small army. It wasn't until after dinner that the first 'problem' of the night arose.  
The group were seated in the Living room, relaxing and simply chilling out. Bryan and Kerry were sitting on the floor, as were Kian and Nicky's younger brother, Adam. The two lads both had a talent for playing the guitar and Kian was teaching him the chords for 'More Than Words'. Mark was sitting in an armchair with Jade in his lap, Bobby was once again seated on the floor in front of them, watching Kian and Adam, the couch beside Mark and Jade was occupied by Nicky's parents, Nicky Snr and Yvonne. 

Nicky was sitting in the other armchair near his parents while Shane sat 'casually' on the floor in front of him.

The large group were talking about anything and everything. All seemed to be going perfectly until there was a knock on the door.  
"Who could that be?" Shane asked. "Especially at this hour"  
"I'll get it" Nicky said, jumping to his feet.

Nicky reached the front hall and switched the porch light on. He peered through the peephole but couldn't see anybody. He slowly opened the door but found the porch deserted. He was about to close the door when a small package on the 'welcome' mat caught his eye. He quickly picked it up and retreated back into the house. He returned to the Living room and everyone looked at him, eager to learn who was at the door. He frowned and shrugged before handing the package to Shane.  
"There was no one there. But this was addressed to you" Nicky told him.

"Oh my god!" Jade shrieked, almost dropping her camera. "Nicky, what happened to your ring?"  
"What?" Nicky asked her.  
"I hadn't noticed until just now, when you gave that to Shane. Where's your engagement ring?"  
"Engagement ring?" Nicky Snr asked.  
"Nicky?" Yvonne began.  
"I... It...." Nicky stammered.

Upon seeing Nicky's reaction, not to mention his parent's, Jade realized she had said something she shouldn't have.  
"Nicky," she gasped, her hands clamping over her mouth. "I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have..."  
"No" Nicky said to her. "It.... It's okay. It wasn't your fault"  
"Engagement ring?" Nicky's father said once more. This time his voice was almost twice as loud as the first time.  
"I..." Nicky stammered once again.  
"But you... you're gay. You can't be... You're not even seeing anyone"  
"But I... I'm sorry"

Nicky shot an apologetic look at Shane before turning on his heel and running from the room. Nicky's parent's watched as their son ran away from them and disappeared into the dark hall. The room fell silent and they could hear his retreating footsteps echoing up the stairs. Shane didn't bother saying anything to anyone; instead he took off after his fiancé.

"I, uh, I'm going to assume you didn't know about it?" Jade asked Nicky Snr and Yvonne.  
"No, we didn't" Yvonne admitted.  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. You should have heard it from Nicky"  
"How long have they been together?" Nicky Snr asked, drawing the attention away from Jade.  
"I'm not sure if it's our place to tell you" Kian replied.  
"I don't care! How long?"  
"A year" Kian sighed.  
"How long have they been engaged?"  
"A few days"  
"And.... And they're really in love?"  
"If I may be completely honest with you, Mr Byrne, Never in my life have I seen a couple as in love as them. They really are lucky to have found each other. And I know, in my heart, that they belong together"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane reached their room in record time. The door was closed and he could hear Nicky's sobs through the door. He slowly reached out and turned the handle. He pushed the door open and peered into the room.

"Nicky?" Shane whispered. "Honey, are you okay?"  
The darkness of the room danced in Shane's eyes. He could barely see his hand in front of him. The drapes were closed and all the lights were off.  
"Nix, baby?" Shane whispered.

Shane slowly entered the room. He could sense Nicky's presence and knew exactly where he was. He began to approach him, walking cautiously so he didn't bump into anything. Once he reached the bed, he sat down and reached out to his Nicky.  
"I couldn't even face them," Nicky replied, his voice coarse from his sobs. "They must hate me so much"  
"Nicky, they don't hate you" Shane reassured him. "They're your parents, they could never hate you"

"Oh Shane" Nicky sat up and threw his body against Shane's. The younger man froze for a moment, letting Nicky sob once again, before wrapping his arms around him. "Why didn't I tell them sooner?"  
"It's not your fault. If anything, it was mine. And I'm so sorry"  
"What? Your fault?"  
"If I hadn't proposed, then there wouldn't have been any hurry to tell them. I'm sorry"  
"No, don't be sorry. Shane, we're engaged. You have no idea how good it makes me feel, saying those words. You're my fiancé and I'm going to marry you. It was my fault for not saying anything to my family. I just, the timing was never right. You understand that, right?"  
"Of course I do. But you can't just leave them downstairs"  
"I know. I need to talk to them"  
"No. We need to talk to them"  
"Shane"  
"You said it yourself, we're engaged. We're getting married. We're a couple, what happens to one will affect the other. I'm not going to let you face your parents alone"  
"Thank you"

*-*-*-*-*

Nicky's parents sat quietly in the Living room with their son's friends, unsure of what to say. The entire room was silent, Kian wondered if he dropped a pin would he actually hear it?  
"Mam? Dad?"  
All eyes turned to the living room door. Nicky was standing in the doorway, Shane standing firmly beside him. The younger boy shot a comforting smile at his fiancé and slid his hand into Nicky's, squeezing it tightly.  
"You know what? I'm gonna go check on dessert" Kian began. "Mark, Jade, would you like to give me a hand?"  
Kian stood up and made a beeline for the kitchen, Mark, Jade and Bobby followed close behind. Kerry and Bryan also stood up.  
"I'm going to take Molly upstairs for a nap" Kerry began. "Adam, why don't you come and help me?"  
Yvonne nodded to Adam and he stood up. Without another look at his mother, he followed Kerry and Bryan upstairs.

Now that the room was almost empty, Nicky ventured inside and Shane followed him. Yvonne and Nicky Snr were still sitting on the couch, neither one looked like they were willing to speak. The blonde walked back over to the chair he had been in earlier and sat down. Shane set himself down on the arm of the chair, refusing to let go of his lover's hand.  
"Mam, Dad" Nicky began. "I am so sorry for not saying anything sooner"  
His parents exchanged a look before returning their gaze to their son. Nicky Snr was the first to spot Nicky's ring, which he had put on before coming back downstairs.  
"Shane and I have been together for twelve months. I know you might think we're rushing things but we're not. I mean, we are engaged but we're not planning on getting married tomorrow. I know that I should have told you about us months ago but I couldn't. I wasn't ready to tell you"  
"Were you afraid of telling us?" Yvonne spoke for the first time.

"We didn't tell anyone at first," Shane said to her. "Not even the other lads in the band. We just wanted to give it some time, to be certain that it was the real thing. You... you're not mad at us, are you?"  
"Oh, Shane, sweetheart. Of course we're not mad at you. We're just still a little shocked by the news. I, may I ask you something?"  
"Anything"  
"Were the two of you together when you were kidnapped?"  
"Yeah" Shane replied, looking at Nicky and lightly squeezing his hand. "We were. And believe me when I say that was the worst part of my kidnapping. Being away from your son was killing me. I love Nicky with all my heart and I would never do anything to hurt him"  
"I know, Shane" Yvonne said, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

"Dad?" Nicky asked. His father hadn't said a word and Nicky was afraid of what he might say (or do). "Daddy? Are you okay? Please, say something!"  
"Mr Byrne," Shane began. "I realise that this is a lot to take in. I mean, ten minutes ago you had no idea that Nix was seeing anyone and now you've found out he's engaged. I assure you, we've thought about this and I know that we're making the right choice. I love your son and I would never, ever do anything to hurt him. I will always stand by him because he is my soul mate. I know that we belong together and that we are meant to be together. Please, Mr Byrne, just say something... For Nicky's sake?"

"Well, I guess that means you're going to have to stop calling me 'Mr Byrne' and start calling me 'dad'." Nicky's father stated. His face showed no sign of anger or hatred yet his voice wasn't overly excited or happy either.  
The young couple sat silently on the couch, both trying to comprehend Nicky Snr's words. Was he serious? He really wasn't angry about it? Nicky stood up and approached his father.

"Dad?" he knelt on the floor in front of the couch and hugged his father. "Thank you"  
Yvonne also wrapped her arms around her husband and her son, joining in on their hug. Nicky's father looked up at her and smiled. He shifted his gaze and spied Shane still sitting on the arm of the chair. His expression softened and he smiled at Shane before waving him over.

"Come on, son" Nicky Snr said.

Shane slowly approached and cautiously joined the hug. Even though it was only brief, Shane didn't want to impose on this family moment. They all separated and Nicky turned his attention to Shane. He threw his arms around his lover's neck and pulled him close. Their lips met in a soft, brief kiss. Nicky Snr took his wife's hand and kissed it, smiling.  
"Welcome to the family, Shane" he said.


	11. Chapter Ten

It wasn't until later that night, when everyone had gone home, that the second 'problem' of the night occurred. Shane and Nicky had gone up to bed while Kian had started to clean up the kitchen.  
Shane came wondering down the stairs and noted the kitchen light was still on. He caught sight of Kian and decided to go talk to him. Kian saw him in the doorway so he wasn't startled when Shane spoke to him.  
"Why are you still up?" Shane asked.  
"I'm just on my way to bed now" Kian replied. "Why are you still up? You and Nicky went to bed over an hour ago"  
"I know. I couldn't sleep"  
"You okay?"  
"I'm fine"  
"Night Shane"  
"Night Ki"

Kian left the room and Shane followed him, turning the light off on his way. When he reached the door to the living room, he remembered the package he had been sent. He turned the lamp on and located the package on the floor. He picked it up and examined it.  
His name and address was printed, not hand-written, on the front and there was no postage stamp or return address. He sat down in the armchair and opened it.  
A black, unlabeled video fell from the packaging. He cast a nervous look at it and looked around. He could hear Kian in his room and he was fairly certain that Nicky was still asleep upstairs. He examined the video and noted that it wasn't at the very beginning. He wondered if he was supposed to rewind it.

Against his better judgement, Shane stood up and approached the television. He turned it on and muted the sound before sliding the video into the VCR. He pressed play and waited for it to start.  
The image that filled the screen was like a dagger piercing Shane's heart.  
"No!" Shane gasped. It was a video he had seen before. His beautiful, sweet Nicky was being brutally raped by two masked men.  
He removed the video from the VCR and tossed it in the cupboard. He stood up and raced into the study.  
Shane dropped to the floor beside the desk, pausing to turn the lamp on, and located a box. He threw the lid off and cursed himself for not checking sooner. He hastily rummaged through the various files until he found the one he was after.  
It was a list of names. The names of the men who were arrested for his kidnapping. Shane scrolled down the list, reading out the names. Christian, Alex, Brad, James, Tony, Joseph, Drew.  
"Oh, Fuck!" Shane dropped the file as the colour drained from his face. "Fuck!!"

*-*

"Shane?" Kian called. "Shane?"  
Kian appeared in the doorway to the study and ran to Shane's side. He dropped to the floor and pulled Shane into a hug.  
"Shane, are you okay?" Kian asked.  
"No" Shane gasped.  
"Shhhh. Calm down, it's okay"  
"No, it's not okay"  
"What happened?"  
"They're still out there!"  
"Who? Who's still out there?"  
"Tobey & Kane. The two men who almost destroyed the most important thing in my life"  
"What?"

Kian sighed and helped Shane to his feet. He led him out of the Study and across the hall to the living room. He sat him down on the couch then sat down beside him.  
"Shane, you weren't making much sense in there. Who are you talking about? What are you talking about?"  
"The two men. The ones who hurt my baby, there's still out there"  
"How do you know? What did they do?"

Kian then spotted the open package on the floor and looked back at Shane, questioning him with his eyes.  
"What was in that package that arrived today?" Kian asked.  
"A... A video" Shane stammered. "I... I shouldn't have watched it"  
"Why? What was it?"  
"It was my Nicky. The... the video those bastards made of them... of them raping him"  
"But... the videos and tapes were destroyed, weren't they?"  
"I thought they were but no. The two men in that video... The two men that did that to him, they're not in prison. They, they weren't caught with the others"  
"Shane, what exactly are you trying to say?"  
"I'm trying to say that to the two men who violated and raped Nicky... are still out there"  
"What?"  
"They're still out there and they're going to come back for him!"

*-*-*-*-*

Needless to say, neither Shane nor Kian got much sleep that night. The two men stayed up most of the night trying to think up reasonable explanations for these discoveries. Maybe one of the police officers had found it and decided to send it to them, instead of destroying it. Perhaps Tobey and Kane weren't their real names.  
Shane had returned to the study and collected the files. He and Kian sat in silence and read through every one. After the final file had been read, Shane tossed it across the room in frustration.  
"It's hopeless" Shane groaned. "No where, in any of these reports does it say what happened to Nix"  
"No one confessed to it" Kian agreed. "No one even mentioned it. Not even the Garda"  
"But why? Are they... Are they trying to pretend that it didn't happen or something?"  
"I don't know. But I think we should call the Police. I mean, first someone threatens you, then someone tries to kidnap Nicky and now this video has turned up. We need to do something"  
"But I... I don't know what to do. I can't always be there to protect him. But I don't want to scare him either"  
"Scare him?"  
"I... I think he needs to know that they're still out there"  
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"  
"No. But he deserves to know the truth. I can't keep this from him. I won't lie to him, I can't"  
"I know. Hey, why don't you go up to bed? I'll stay here and clean this up"  
"Nah, I'll help you. It'll be quicker if we both do it"

When Shane finally climbed the stairs, he was exhausted. He caught sight of the clock on the wall and sighed. It was after four. If he was lucky, he might still be able to get a couple of hours sleep. He reached the door to his room and opened it.  
Once inside, he crossed the room to the bed but didn't climb in. Instead he stood next to it, watching Nicky sleep. He was so beautiful, so young, and so full of life. 

Shane reached out and lightly brushed his hand down Nicky's cheek. He couldn't imagine how Nicky would handle what he had to say.  
Shane straightened up and walked around to his side of the bed. He climbed in and turned to look at Nicky. A few seconds later, the blonde began to thrash about the sheets.

"No" Nicky begged. "Please!"  
"Nicky!" Shane urged. He reached out and lightly shook him awake. The older boy awoke with a start and sprang into Shane's arms.   
"Oh, Shane" Nicky sobbed. "Will this ever go away?"  
"Shhhh" Shane whispered, hugging him tightly. "Of course it will. You're safe now. It's all over. Just, go back to sleep"

Shane hated himself for lying to Nicky. Especially after he had told Kian that he couldn't. But he also knew that this wasn't the time to tell Nicky about his discovery. He would tell him in the morning, once he had had some sleep and some time to think about what to say.  
He held Nicky firmly in his arms, urging him to go back to sleep. But, of the two men, Shane was the first to drift off.

*-*

The following morning, Shane still managed to awaken before Nicky. Instead of hanging around to watch him sleep, he climbed out of bed and headed downstairs. He assumed Kian was still asleep so he made his way to Kian's room.  
One of the things Shane loved about this house was its size. The downstairs was larger than the upstairs. It had two bedrooms, a sitting room and a bathroom in addition to the living room, hall, study and kitchen. So technically the extra rooms were Kian's while upstairs belonged to Shane and Nicky. This gave all three of them enough privacy when they wanted it but also the comfort of knowing other people were nearby.  
Shane knocked on the door to Kian's room before opening it. He stepped into the room and saw Kian sitting up in bed, his glasses slightly crooked and various sheets of paper all around him.

"Shane!" Kian gasped. "I..."  
"What are you...?" Shane began.  
"I'm sorry. I still couldn't sleep so I decided to read over the files once more. Just in case we missed something"  
"No. It's okay. I didn't sleep very well either. And when I went upstairs, Nicky was having another nightmare"  
"Is he okay?"  
"I don't know"  
"I still think we should call the Garda"  
"We will. I just, I think I should tell him first"  
"I understand"

"But, I just can't figure out how to say the words to him. I mean, how do you tell someone that the two men responsible for almost ruining your life, are still on the loose?"  
"I don't know. It's not going to be easy. You want me to be there when you tell him?"  
"Thanks. But I think I'll be okay"  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much trouble trying to eat breakfast. He had decided to talk to Nicky first thing after breakfast meaning he was finding it hard to eat anything.  
Once he had choked down a piece of toast and half a glass of juice, he told Nicky he needed to talk to him. The colour appeared to vanish from the blonde's face and he nervously chewed his lip.  
"We'll be upstairs if you need us," Shane said.  
Kian nodded and watched as Shane took Nicky's hand in his own and slowly led him from the room.

Shane led Nicky into their room and told him to sit down. The older boy was starting to panic. What was Shane going to say? Was Shane going to break up with him? Kian had been acting strange throughout the morning... was there something going on between Shane and Kian?   
Nicky dared to look in Shane's eyes. He instantly knew that something was seriously wrong.  
"What's wrong, honey?" Nicky whispered.  
"Baby, I..." Shane began. "I'm so sorry"  
"What? What's happened?"  
Nicky instantly tensed up, he looked at Shane with concern and fear in his eyes. Shane sat up taller, and took a deep breath. His eyes met with Nicky's and his heart began to pound. He knew it would be hard to tell him but he had to. He reached out and took his lover's hand. He placed his other hand on Nicky's cheek and lightly brushed his fingers against his skin.   
"Shane," Nicky whispered. "You're scaring me"  
"I'm sorry, baby" Shane replied. "You remember that package that arrived for me last night?"  
"Yeah, you opened it?"  
"Yes. I did"  
"What was in it?"

Tears were brimming in Shane's eyes. Try as he might, he couldn't stop them. "I don't want to tell you"  
"Shane? Please, I need to know. You're upset. You have to tell me"  
"It... It was a video. Not just any video. The... The one of you. Of what happened to you. What was done to you"  
"The... The rape?"  
"Yes"  
"But I thought all copies were destroyed.... or taken as police evidence?"  
"That's what I thought too. I went into the study last night and searched though all the files Jim gave me. There was no mention of the incident. Not one of the men arrested admitted to it or even mentioned it"

Nicky reached up and covered Shane's hand with his own. Shane could feel tears still stinging his eyes. This next part was going to be hard.  
"I checked the files and there's more" Shane continued.  
"More?" Nicky whispered.  
"Yes. I'm sorry, but this has to be said" Shane blinked back his tears. "You see, the two men in that video; the two that did that to you. They weren't caught with the others. They were never caught. They're still out there somewhere"


	12. Chapter Eleven

Tears filled Nicky's eyes and he pulled away from Shane. He climbed off the bed and moved away from him. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. Nicky buried his face in his hands and shook his head repeatedly. Shane climbed off the bed and approached him. He wrapped his arms around Nicky and tried to soothe him.

"No" Nicky sobbed.  
"It's okay. They're not going to hurt you," Shane said. "I won't let them. I promise"

Nicky buried his face in Shane's chest and continued sobbing. Shane held him close, trying to think of something comforting to say. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything so he just held him supportively. Shane led the trembling boy over to the bed and sat him back down. Nicky kept his head on Shane's shoulder, trying to control his sobs. Shane knew this news would upset him and he wondered how Nicky would cope.

"I..." Nicky began.  
"Shhh" Shane whispered. "You don't have to say anything"  
"You... Do you think they were the two who broke in to our house?"  
"I don't know. Maybe"  
"So the two men who were responsible for raping me broke in to our house and tried to take me?"  
"Possibly"  
"Oh god... Why? What do they want?"  
"I don't know, baby"  
"I'm scared, Shay"  
"I know you are. So am I" Shane whispered, lightly kissing Nicky's forehead. "So am I"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane spent well over an hour in his room, whispering soothing words to his beloved Nicky. The blonde was seemingly terrified by this news and Shane had no idea how to help him. Eventually, Nicky cried himself to sleep so Shane headed downstairs to talk to Kian. He found him in the Kitchen with the police files spread across the table in front of him.

"Still haven't found anything?" Shane asked him. Kian, startled by Shane's appearance, knocked over his coffee.  
"Shane! I’m sorry. I didn't see you there" Kian said. "I’m sorry, still nothing"

Kian stood up and picked up the now empty coffee mug. He dropped the mug in the sink and located a cloth. Shane took a seat at the table as Kian mopped up the spill.

"How's he doing?" Kian asked. Shane shrugged.  
"I wish I knew. I just, I wish I could just take the pain away. Hasn't he been through enough?"  
"You've both been through more than enough. And eventually it will stop. I mean, you've been able to pull through, move on. He will too"  
"I know. But I wish there was something I could do for him in the meantime"  
"Where is he now?"  
"Upstairs. He... he cried himself to sleep. God, there was so much pain and fear in his eyes..."  
"Hey, he'll be okay. I won't lie to you, it may take a while but he will be okay. He'll get through this"  
"But we were okay. We were happy. We were both ready to move on. Kath said that he was starting to make progress... We were working through it and now those bastards are back and they're going to ruin everything"

Kian dropped the cloth beside the sink and made his way over to Shane. He pulled him into a hug and pondered exactly what to say.  
"It's going to be okay," Kian said. "You're safe here. So is Nicky. Try not to focus on the bad things. You can't let this ruin your life, not after you've spent so much time re-establishing it… But think its time you called the police"

"I beg to differ!"

Shane and Kian separated and turned to face the door. A man dressed, from head to toe, in black blocked it. A mask, showing only his eyes and mouth, covered his face. Kian noted that he was smirking. Shane froze, his entire body tensed. He knew that voice! And, those eyes... There was no mistaking this man. It was Tobey.

*-*-*-*-*

"What are you doing here?" Shane croaked, his voice not working as well as he'd hoped.  
Tobey's smirk quickly turned into an evil laugh. He raised his arm and pointed his gun at the two men. Another man, dressed identically to Tobey, with a lit cigarette in his mouth, stepped up behind him. Shane assumed the new arrival was Kane.

"We just want to talk" Tobey said. He reached into his knapsack and retrieved a roll of tape. "Make sure they can't get away," he said as he handed the roll to Kane. “And get rid of that smoke”

Kane took the cigarette from his mouth and used the table to put it out. He then pulled a knife from behind his back and took the tape from Tobey. He advanced on the two men, first approaching Kian. Tobey kept his gun pointed firmly at Shane while Kane tied Kian's wrists together.  
"Now, I don't want to hear a peep out of either of you or we'll gag you. Got it?"

The two men nodded as Kane moved on to Shane, making sure his bonds were so tight that he couldn't move. Tobey ordered the two men up and ushered them into the Living room. He told them to sit on the couch.  
"Drawing it out isn't going to solve anything,” Shane told them. "Just kill us now and be done with it"

Kane thrust his knife towards Shane, pausing a few millimetres from his neck. Shane stared at the blade in fear; he obviously wasn't ready to die.  
"You shut the fuck up" Kane told him. He grabbed the neck of Shane's shirt and pushed him onto the couch beside Kian.

"Besides," Tobey began. "We don't want to kill you just yet… Actually, I have no intention of killing you. What would be the fun in that? We want to make you suffer. I want to see the look on your face as I shoot my cum into Nicky's ass... I want to watch your reaction as I shove my cock so far into him that his scream echoes through the house... I want you to watch as I make him suck me, make me orgasm and swallow my essence..."

The anger and hatred inside Shane was about to reach boiling point. Just hearing him say those things was enough to push Shane over the edge. The very thought of those things happening to his Nicky was more than enough to make him want to break Tobey's neck.  
"You bastard!" Shane said, through gritted teeth. Had Kane not been holding a knife to Shane's throat, he would have lunged at Tobey.

"You stay here," Tobey said to Kane. "Make sure they don't get away"  
"What about you?" Kane asked. "Where are you going?"  
"Jesus, Where do you think? I'm going upstairs to get our little playmate"  
"No!" Shane shouted. He couldn't let them hurt Nicky. He had to warn him. Tell him to get out of there.  
"Ni-!" Kane placed his hand across Shane's mouth, muffling his warning. 

Tobey turned on his heel and headed out of the room. Leaving his hand over Shane's mouth, Kane pulled his other hand away and picked up the roll of tape. With great difficulty he managed to cut a piece of tape. He removed his hand and placed the tape over Shane's mouth, gagging him.

*-*-*-*-*

Nicky was still dozing upstairs. He heard the door open and, assuming it was Shane, he smiled. With his eyes still closed, he rolled over and sighed.

"I'm sorry I got so upset," Nicky told him. "I realise that it couldn't have been easy for you, telling me what you did and I just wanted to say thank you. I'm glad you were able to tell me instead of my hearing about it somewhere else"

Nicky rolled over once more and opened his eyes. He gasped in shock and sat up. Standing in the doorway was a man. A man dressed entirely in black, with his face covered by a black mask.

"Hi honey," the man said, holding up a gun and pointing it directly at Nicky. "Remember me?"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane's heart was breaking into thousands of tiny pieces. His stomach was twisting inside him, making him feel queasy. He couldn't begin to imagine what Nicky would be thinking or feeling. He knew Nicky would be terrified and he hated himself for not being able to help him. The three men in the Living room could hear the unmistakeable sound of footsteps on the stairs and Shane feared he was going to throw up or pass out or both. 

Tobey appeared in the doorway, brandishing his gun in one hand. His other hand was locked firmly around Nicky's upper arm. He tossed Nicky into the room and smiled as the young singer scrambled to get away. The blonde’s eyes fell upon Shane and Kian, tied up on the couch and his heart sank. Shane knew Nicky wanted to ask them if they were okay, but he could see that his fiancé was too terrified to speak.

"Remove the gag" Tobey told Kane. Kane nodded and did as he was told.  
"Please!" Shane pleaded. "Please don't hurt him. I swear I'll do anything you want. Just, don't hurt him. Please!"  
"I was hoping you'd say that" Tobey replied. "The way I see it, Shane, you've got two options. Would you like to hear them?"  
"What choice do I have?"  
"Well, you can pick up that phone, call the police and tell them you've changed your mind. Tell them you don't want to deal with this case anymore and have our friends released"  
"No" Nicky finally managed to speak. "Shane, you can't. This case is important to you. Don't do it"

Tobey advanced on Nicky, closing his hand into a fist and punching the terrified blonde.

"Nicky!" Shane shouted. He turned to look at Tobey. "And if I don't?"  
"Then you and your friend will get front row seats to the making of our new movie"  
"New... new movie?" Shane stammered.  
"Yeah. The working title is 'the violent rape and torture of your fiancé'."  
"NO!" Shane shouted, violently struggling with his bonds. He had to get free; he had to beat the living shit out of this asshole.

"Get the phone" Tobey told Kane. Kane nodded and picked up the cordless phone. He looked at Tobey, who continued staring at Shane.  
"Well, this is quite a predicament you're in. What to do, what to do. Well Shane, what are you going to do? Are you going to make a phone call or would you like a preview of the movie first?"

Tobey lunged at the blonde, pinning the terrified boy to the floor. As Nicky struggled to get away, Tobey pointed the gun at his forehead. The younger boy froze, staring at the man above him.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Tears were beginning to form in Shane's eyes. He had no idea what to do. This case was important to him. He couldn't let his kidnappers and rappers go free, there was nothing to stop them from coming after him again. But, he couldn't let anything happen to his Nicky.  
The images from their last video flooded Shane's mind. The thought of that happening to his baby again was terrifying, he found himself staring at Tobey, and the way he had Nicky pinned to the floor. Nicky was so scared, Shane knew there were tears in the blonde's eyes.  
Then Tobey shifted his position, moving the gun away from Nicky. He leaned forward and kissed him firmly on the lips. Using his tongue, he forced Nicky's mouth open and jammed his tongue inside. Without another thought, Nicky bit down. Hard. Tobey jerked away in pain.  
"You little bitch!" Tobey shouted his words muffled by his tongue.

"Did you hear something?" Kane asked. Tobey froze.  
"Gag them" Tobey ordered. Kane replaced Shane's gag and made one for Kian. Tobey pulled Nicky to his feet, pointing the gun at his temple.  
"Anything goes wrong, he dies,” Tobey told them. He turned to Kane and lowered his voice. "Check the window"

Kane ran over to the window and peered out. He cursed in frustration.  
"There's a car out there, Kane said to Tobey.  
This time it was Tobey's turn to curse. He released Nicky and tightened his grip on the gun. He brought the gun down, hitting the back of Nicky's head. The blonde fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Put him in the van" Tobey whispered to Kane.  
Kane nodded and picked Nicky up. He carried the unconscious boy out of the Living room. Shane watched him leave, carrying his beloved from the room.  
"Nicky!" Shane tried to shout but his gag muffled his call.

*-*-*-*-*

Jade climbed out of the car and made her way up the front walk. She couldn't believe she had been stupid enough to leave her cell phone behind. She reached the front door of the house but before she could knock, the door opened. 

A man dressed in black shot out the door, knocking her to the ground. As she climbed to her feet, a black van appeared from beside the house and the man climbed in. Fearing the worst, she ran into the house and found Shane and Kian tied up in the Living room. She crossed the room and quickly removed Shane's gag. As she untied his wrists he threw questions at her.

"Did you see anyone? Where did they go? Where are they?" He asked.   
"I... I saw a man in a mask jump into a black van. The van drove off though," She told him.

Shane jumped up and ran from the room. He raced into the yard and discovered Jade had been telling the truth. The van was nowhere in sight. They were gone. Shane fell to the ground. He buried his face in his hands and told himself not to cry. Tobey and Kane had gotten away. 

And they had taken Nicky with them.

*-*-*-*-*

"Are you okay?" Jade asked Kian as she untied his wrists.  
"Yeah. I... I'm good" Kian told her.  
"What happened?"  
"I'll tell you once we get Shane back in here"

Kian jumped to his feet and ran out the front door. Jade watched him go then decided to follow. She stood up and returned to the front yard. Shane was sitting in the middle of the yard, his face buried in his hands as he screamed every obscenity he could think of. Kian slowly approached him. He dropped to the ground beside his friend and pulled him into a hug. Shane stopped screaming and collapsed in Kian's arms.

"He's gone,” Shane sobbed. "What am I going to do?"  
"Shhhh" Kian whispered. "It's okay, Shane. We'll find him. We'll get him back"  
He helped Shane to his feet and led him back inside. Jade chose not to say anything but she feared something terrible had happened.

Once back inside, Kian took Shane into the Kitchen and made him sit down. He looked up at Jade for the first time and told her to have a seat.  
"Jade, what brings you here?" Kian asked her.  
"I'm sorry" She replied. "I left my cell phone here last night and I needed it so I decided to stop by and get it. Did I come at a bad time?"  
"That depends on how you look at it. If you hadn't showed up, we might have all been killed but..."  
"May I ask what happened here?"  
"Two men showed up. Shane thinks it was the same two men who showed up on their anniversary. They had guns and knifes and they tied us up, threatened us. When you arrived, they panicked and took off... They took Nicky with them"  
"Oh, God! I'm so sorry. I... I shouldn't have come"  
"Hey, it's not your fault"  
"What do you mean?" Shane snapped. "Of course it was her fault!" He stood up and stormed out of the room. He disappeared into the backyard, slamming the door loudly behind him.  
"Shane!" Kian shouted.  
"No" Jade said, "Its okay"

*-*-*-*-*

Once outside, Shane started running. He didn't know where he was going or why. He reached the edge of the paddock and paused just outside the stable. He opened the door and went inside.  
"Arf! Arf!"  
Shane turned around and saw Freddy. He had obviously been asleep and the intrusion had woken him up. Shane dropped to the ground and pulled Freddy into his arms. The puppy struggled for a few seconds before calming down. Tears had started to fall from Shane's eyes. He held the puppy close as the tears spilled down his cheeks.

"Why did this have to happen?" Shane sobbed. Freddy barked in response.  
"Nicky doesn't deserve this. Why couldn't they have taken me instead?"  
Shane paused and wiped the tears off his cheeks.  
"If they do anything to him... When I find them, I'll make them pay. I'll kill them with my bare hands if I get the chance"  
Freddy barked once more.

*-*

Kian hung up the phone and turned to Jade.  
"The police will be here in a little while" He told her. "I should probably call Bryan and Kerry, let them know what's happened. Mark needs to be told, and Louis... Plus Kath should be told"  
"Do you want me to call Mark?" Jade offered.  
"You wouldn't mind?"  
"Not at all. Why don't you call Louis and Kath and I'll call Mark and Bryan"  
"You don't have to"  
"I know. I want to"  
"If this is because of what Shane..."  
"No. I mean, I guess... A little..."  
"Jade, what happened wasn't your fault. Shane's just upset... We'd better make those calls, then go look for him"

*-*

Bryan and Kerry arrived not long before the Police. At the sound of the car, Shane had reappeared still holding Freddy. He ventured into the house but didn't feel like speaking to anyone. As soon as he appeared, Kerry pulled him into a supportive hug. He tried to smile at her but the muscles in his face just wouldn't co-operate. Kerry pulled away and Bryan took her place, also hugging Shane.

Shane felt numb as the Police car appeared. He just couldn't comprehend what had happened. They had been 'ambushed' in their own house and now Nicky was gone. Shane was no longer upset, just angry at the assholes that had taken him. Mark arrived just before they began to give their statements.

Officer (Jim) Readen suggested they go into the Living room but Shane immediately refused. He glanced into the room and could still see Tobey on top of Nicky, forcing his tongue into his mouth... Shane averted his eyes and led Jim into the sitting room. Jim told Shane to take a seat. He sat down and pulled Freddy onto his lap. Jim could see how shaken up Shane was by the whole ordeal. His heart ached for him. Shane, a 22-year old country boy who was one fifth of one of the world’s most popular bands, had been through more than any one person should.

Jim had already experienced the other side of this equation. He had been there through Shane's kidnap and had seen the effect it had had on Nicky. Now he was witness to Shane's reactions and feelings. He had never met a couple, gay or straight, as in love as Shane and Nicky. It just didn't seem fair that they be terrorized so much.

Jim had quite a difficult time, trying to get a statement out of the singer. The poor boy had been too upset to string more than a few words together at any one time. But Shane had been able to recall everything Tobey had said to him, including the things he, Tobey, had threatened to do to Nicky.

After Shane had told him all he could, Jim spoke to Kian. His statement was identical to Shane's, but he obtained it much quicker. Kian had appeared almost relieved once they were done. Before they ended the interview, Kian asked Jim one question.

"What are you still doing here in Dublin? I thought you would have gone home by now" Kian said to him.

"I was asked to stay here until Shane's trial is over" Jim replied. "But I had false hopes that the whole thing would go smoothly. Nicky's abduction just means these lads are serious. They must want something really badly to risk breaking into your house to get it"  
"But what could they possibly.... " Kian gasped. "You don't think... They won't kill him, will they?"  
"Not if we find him before they get the chance"  
"I see"  
"Listen, I don't want to get your (or Shane's) hopes up but... I think that if they we're going to kill him, then they would have done it while they were here"  
"Do you think you'll find him?"  
"We got Shane back, didn't we?"


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Nicky slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times. His head was pounding but his first thought was of Shane. He sat up and looked around. He found himself lying on a hard, dirty, cement floor. He blinked several more times, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room.  
The young blonde could hear voices coming from the far side of the room and his mind instantly filled with images of his abduction.  
His stomach began to churn and he feared he was going to throw up. His mouth had suddenly turned very dry and the back of his head was throbbing. He attempted to sit up but his head hurt too much.  
"Look," A voice from above said. "My Angel's awake"

The blonde rolled over and saw one of the men looking at him. His eyes were leering at him. Nicky could tell from his eyes that it was the same man who had dragged him from the bedroom.  
"Tobey," Kane hissed. "He's not yours. You know that"  
"You're right," Tobey agreed. "He's ours"  
"No" Nicky groaned, trying to speak for the first time. "I'm Shane's"

Tobey crossed the room and grabbed a fist full of the blonde's shirt. He raised his other hand and slapped the younger man. Nicky fell back, his head hitting the solid wall.  
"You are not to speak that name," Tobey hissed.  
"You can't stop me" he replied, attempting to sound braver than he actually felt.

Tobey smirked and ran his hand through Nicky's blonde locks. He pulled the singer close, his lips inches away from his ear.  
"You are so cute," Tobey told him. "I'm going to enjoy fucking you senseless. I'm going to fuck you so hard... Until long after you forgotten your own name"  
"What are you going to do to Shane?" Nicky asked, trying to forget the words Tobey had just hissed. "What do you want from him?"  
"We want him to release our friends" Kane spoke up.  
"He can't do that"  
"He will, if he cares enough for you. If he believes he'll get you back, we can make him do anything"

Nicky's stomach began to churn once more. He never knew he could feel this sick. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes but he wouldn't allow them to fall, he wasn't going to give them that satisfaction. Well, not yet anyway.

*-*-*-*-*

"Shane?"  
The distressed boy turned around and saw Bobby standing just outside the door. He turned back to the yard and slid across the step. Bobby crossed the porch and sat down on the step beside Shane.  
"What do you want?" Shane asked, his voice low and bordering on sad.  
"I... Are..." Bobby began. "I..."  
"Did you want something?"  
"I just wanted to know if you were okay"  
"Do I fucking look okay?" Shane snapped at him.

"You're right. I'm sorry"  
"No, It's not your fault"  
"It's not yours either"  
"Well it sure feels like it"

"Shane, I know that you're upset right now. I understand that. You miss him. But he'll be okay. I honestly don't believe that they'll kill him"  
"They want something. Something from me. That's why they took him. They're going to use him to get to me"  
"You said they wanted their friends back"  
"Yeah. They said that if I didn't call off the trial and release them, then they would rape Nicky again"  
"And that's what you think they're doing right now?"  
"No. Not yet. I mean, nothing happened to me that first night, right?"  
"I guess"

"Bobby, you don't know anything about them... do you?"  
"I don't remember"  
"No last names or... where they're from... any family members they might have?"  
"I'm not sure"  
"But... You must know something"  
"Chris never told me much about his associates. He was just paying them. I don't even know if he knew their last names. They were just people that worked for him"  
"Please Bobby? I need you to think back. To remember if he ever mentioned anything about them"  
"I've been trying Shane. I know how important Nicky is to you and I want to help you find him. I promise if I remember anything at all, you'll be the first one I tell"  
"Thank you"  
"I want to help you, Shane. I'm just afraid that I don't know how"  
"I know..."

An empty silence fell over the two men. They both remained seated on the step, staring out at the empty yard.  
"You really don't think they'll kill him?" Shane asked, destroying the silence.  
"No," Bobby paused, hesitantly. "I don't want to scare you... But for their plan to work, they'll need him alive"  
"What if they were serious?"  
"About what?"  
"About their friends. What if they really want them released?"  
"I'm sorry but I can't tell you what to do in that scenario"  
"They can't make me choose between my love for Nix and my hatred for those assholes"  
"I know"  
"What am I going to do?"  
"I don't know"

*-*-*-*-*

Nicky glanced down at his watch, checking the time. 8.53. He blinked and looked again. Not that it really helped. The room he was in had no windows or doors. Meaning no natural light was entering the room. He softly groaned. He now knew the time but was it morning or night? Was it even the same day? How long had he been here? What had happened to Shane and Kian?  
The blonde took this 'opportunity' to look at his surroundings. He was in a large, dark room. He assumed it was underground because of the lack of windows. He was curled up in a corner, against the wall.  
On his left, against the wall was a table with a lamp. Beyond the table was a couch in front of a small television. He assumed that meant electricity had to flow into the room from somewhere.

A noise from above caught his attention. He looked up and spotted a trap door in the ceiling. Before he could make a break for it, the door opened. The blonde noticed it opened downward and told himself this information may help in making an escape. Kane slowly lowered himself down the ladder, carrying a bag over one arm, and dropped to the ground. Nicky felt a little relieved, Kane was alone... Meaning Tobey was not in the room.  
Kane dropped the bag on the table in the corner and turned to Nicky. He smiled before turning back to the table. He opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of water. As he approached, the blonde shrank back and tried to pull away.  
"I know you're not stupid, Nicky,” Kane told him. "You're just scared. Right now it's the same thing"  
"Can I ask you something?" he whispered.  
"What?"  
"Are you going to hurt Shane?"  
"Yes" Kane replied. "Now, drink up"

Kane tossed the bottle to the singer. He ignored it and it landed on the ground beside him. Kane sighed and picked up the bottle. He grabbed Nicky's chin and tried to force his mouth open.  
"What the fuck are you doing?"

Kane released Nicky and turned around. Tobey had dropped down the trap door and was staring at them. Kane dropped the bottle of water and looked at his accomplice.  
"Tobey," Kane began. "I was just..."  
"You aren't allowed to touch him without my permission"  
"But I..."  
Tobey crossed the room and punched Kane. The younger man fell to the ground and stared up at the older man.  
"I'm sorry" Kane replied. "I just thought we should give him a drink. You don't want him to die of thirst, do ya?"  
"Well, I guess not"  
"Considering everything we're going to do to him, We're going to need him in perfect health"  
"You're right. But you touch him without my permission again, and I will kill you. I promise you that... Understood?"  
"Yeah. I... I understand"  
"Good. Now get some sleep and leave the angel to me"  
"What? It's only nine o'clock"  
"But we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow"

Kane sighed and stood up. He shot one last look at Nicky before turning and making his way over to the ladder. He climbed up and disappeared from sight.

Tobey walked over to the blonde singer and grabbed his bound wrists. He reached out with his other hand and located a chain. He attached the chain to Nicky's handcuffs, making it impossible for him to escape.  
Then Tobey turned his back on the younger man, made his way over to the couch and turned the TV on. He sat down and pressed 'play'.  
After several seconds, Nicky recognized the sounds coming from the video and closed his eyes. His stomach had once again begun to churn. Tobey was now settled on the couch with the remote...  
From the looks of things, it was going to be a long night.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Kian slowly walked up the stairs, finding it rather difficult in the darkness. The only light in the hall was that of the moon, creating eerie shadows along the walls. When he reached the door to Shane's room, he paused outside and closed his eyes, listening to the silence.  
However, he didn't hear silence. The unmistakeable sound of crying was originating from the other side of the door. He raised his fist and knocked on the door. The crying ceased for a moment. Kian took this as a sign and opened the door.

The lamp beside the bed was switched on, dimly lighting the room. Shane was curled up on one side of the bed, staring at the empty space beside him. His tear-stained cheeks almost bought tears to Kian's eyes.  
"Shane?" Kian whispered.  
"I miss him so much" Shane replied.  
"I know"  
Kian entered the room and closed the door behind him. The sheets beside Shane began to move and Freddy's face appeared. Kian smiled down at the puppy as Freddy yawned. The tiny dog lay back down and closed his eyes. Kian crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.  
"It's okay for him," Shane stated. "He doesn't know anything's wrong"  
"He does know," Kian told him. "Dogs can sense these kind of things. That's why he's in here... He knows you're upset and he's here to comfort you, to let you know that you're not alone"  
"I am alone"  
"That's not true"  
"Nicky's not here"  
"I know. But I am. If you need me, I'm here for you"  
"I need him... I don't need you"  
"Gee, thanks"

"I'm sorry, Ki" Shane said, finally sitting up and looking at him. "You know I didn't mean it like that"  
"Yeah. I know" Kian replied. "And you don't need to be sorry. I know what you're going through"  
"You do?"  
"Of course. In case you've forgotten... I was there when Nicky was taken"  
"You're right"  
"And, we saw Nicky go through the same thing... When you were missing"  
"I just... I hate this"

Kian wrapped his arms around his friend and pulled him close. He knew how hard this was for Shane. It just didn't seem fair. After the trauma and horror that had been Shane's kidnapping, why did they have to experience it all again with Nicky?  
"I know this is hard Shane" Kian told him.  
"I hate feeling so helpless"  
"Yeah. I, uh, I felt the same way. Seeing what they did to Nicky... Hearing them say what they were going to do... Knowing you could do nothing to stop them"  
"Not knowing what's happening to him now"  
"All we can do is pray that he's okay. And hope that the police find him soon... He'll be back here before you know it"  
"It's just so strange being here without him"  
"The two of you haven't been apart since..."

 

"Since I was released from the hospital. Even when I went to visit my parents for the first time since... he came with me. I don't think he even left my side the whole time we were there. It was nice, having him there. Being able to see him, to hold him and be held by him. I don't know how I would have gotten through it without him"  
"He was there when you needed him the most?"  
"Exactly"  
"You should try and get some sleep, Shane. Staying awake all-night and crying about it... really isn't going to help anyone. You need to sleep now so that when they find him, you can stay awake by his side, watching him"  
"What if they don't find him?"  
"No. I don't want to hear you talking like that. They will find him. Now, goodnight Shane"

Kian pulled away from him and stood up. As he began to walk towards the door, Shane called him back.  
"Ki?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Can... Can you stay with me? Please?"  
"Sure"  
Kian found himself holding back a smile. Despite the terrible circumstances, he was glad he could be here for Shane. He just wished there was more he could do for his scared, upset friend.

*-*-*-*-*

Nicky awoke the following morning when he felt someone pulling at his wrist. He opened his eyes in time to see his watch being snatched off his arm.  
"No," Nicky groaned, his voice still filled with sleep. "Don't touch that!"  
Tobey stepped away from Nicky, the watch clutched firmly in his hand. He examined the watch closer. Curious to know why the singer was so protective of a watch. He turned the watch over and discovered a short engraving on the back.  
"Always, Shane" Tobey read aloud.  
The blonde singer flinched, the tone of Tobey's voice made him feel sick. Until that very moment, the inscription on the watch had meant so much to him. Tobey's snide tone had almost ruined that.  
Nicky averted his eyes, not wanting to look at Tobey. Instead, he thought of Shane and the reason behind the inscription.

*-*-*

Shane had given him the watch as a gift. Nicky had taken it out of the box and not even spotted the engraving. Shane reached out and took Nicky's hand. He took the watch from the blonde and turned it over, showing him the writing on the back.

"Always, Shane" Shane whispered to his boyfriend. "Now, whenever you look at the time... You'll be reminded of how much I love you"  
"I..." Nicky replied. "I don't need an engraving or a watch to know how much we love each other"  
"I know. But it's our little secret. Something only you and I know about. The fans, the media, even the other lads will look at it and see a watch. But, we'll look at it and remember this day and this moment. And we'll remember how much we care about each other"  
"I love you"  
"And I love you. Always and forever"  
Shane slowly leaned forward, his lips moving closer to Nicky's... 

*-*-*

The unmistakeable sound of breaking glass pulled Nicky out of his memory. Tobey was still standing in front of him, the watch no longer in his hand. Nicky could feel tears stinging his eyes and he quickly glanced down at the floor. The remaining pieces of his watch lay scattered at Tobey's feet.  
"I'm sorry," Tobey hissed. "Did you want that back?"  
"Bastard!" Nicky groaned.  
"Don't worry, Angel. I'll buy you a new one. Not that you'll be needing it. While you're here, it won't matter what time it is, it won't matter what day it is. The only thing that matters now, is where my cock will be... And for most of the part, it'll be inside you!"  
"No"  
"Shhh. You're my little Angel now and whatever I say, goes"

Nicky fell silent and averted his eyes. He realized that had been about the fourth time the older man had called him that. Each time Tobey referred to him as an Angel, the blonde began to feel a little bit sicker. He never knew the word Angel could sound so evil.  
His gaze fell back on the broken shards of his watch and he fought back his tears. He missed Shane so much... He needed to find a way out of here.  
A way back to Shane... And soon.

*-*-*-*-*

A loud, terrifying crash from the Kitchen woke Shane, Kian and Freddy from their slumber. They were out of bed and down the stairs in ten seconds. The sight that greeted them was nothing like they had pictured.  
Bryan and Kerry were preparing breakfast while Molly sat in her chair at the table. The loud crash they had heard had been Bryan dropping a frying pan on the tiles.  
"Morning," Kian greeted them.  
"Oh, gosh. Did Bryan wake you?" Kerry asked them.  
"Yes. But we had to get up anyway"  
"Did you sleep okay?"  
"Well, not good," Shane admitted. "But not bad either. I don't know, it was just weird... him not being there when I fell asleep or when I woke up"

"Shane, sweetheart" Kerry began. "They'll find him. You know that"  
"Yeah" Shane agreed. "But I can't help but worry in the meantime"  
Molly interrupted their conversation by tossing her mother’s purse on the floor, spilling the contents across the tiles.

Both Kerry and Shane dropped to the floor to pick up her belongings. Shane picked up at pack of photographs, which had fallen open. He collected them and began to hand them back.  
"They weren't dama..." Shane trailed off as he caught sight of one of the images.  
It was a photograph of himself with Nicky and Molly. This must have been the roll Jade had shot on their anniversary. Shane stood up and removed all the photos from the packaging.

He slowly searched the pack, examining each one closely, until he found one that caught his eye. It was a shot of him and Nicky. One that must have been taken seconds after he had proposed. They were looking at each other with love and contempt in their eyes, their arms wrapped tightly around each other.  
"Nice photo's" Shane whispered. His voice choked by impending tears.  
He passed them to Kerry before turning around and leaving the room.

"Shane?" Kerry called after him. "I'm so sorry. Jade gave them to me and asked me to pass them on to you. I wasn’t going to... I didn’t want you to see them"  
"No," Bryan interrupted her. "Just leave him"  
"But..."  
"No, he'll come back. Just give him a few minutes"  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah"

*-*-*-*-*

Tobey made his way over to the ladder and climbed up to the trap door. He exited the room, closing the door behind him. Nicky stared up at the door and heard the lock being slid into place. His heart sank and he leaned his head back against the wall.  
He shifted his weight and realized he was sitting on something. He cast another glance at the ceiling, making sure Tobey wasn't coming back. He managed to use the slack in the chain, to reach behind him and into his back pocket.

His hand closed around his cell phone and he pulled it from his pocket. The phone was off and he quickly switched it on. The battery was now on full power. He quickly dialed Shane's cell phone. His call was instantly diverted to Shane's voice-mail.

"Shay?" Nicky whispered. "It's just me, I... I found my cell phone. But, I don't know where I am. I... I think it's underground. I miss you, so much. I hope you're okay. I love you"

The sound of the lock being opened caused him to end the call. He turned his phone off and slid it back into his pocket. He had just placed the phone out of sight, when Kane appeared. He set a bottle of water down on the table and poured some into a plastic cup. He slowly approached the singer and handed him the cup.

"Its just water," Kane told the blonde. "You need to drink"  
He took the water from him but was hesitant to drink it. Since he now had no idea what day or time it was, he couldn't remember the last time he had had something to drink or eat. He could only assume it had been the previous morning. 

Nicky slowly drank the water, his body thankful for the substance. He felt relieved for the water but hated the fact that Kane was trying to be nice to him. He couldn't understand how someone could be so two-faced. The man who had kidnapped him from his own home, and taken him away from Shane was now offering him glasses of water and making sure he was taken care of. The singer wondered why Kane cared so much about his well being.

"Where does the power come from?" Nicky asked, breaking the silence.  
"What?" Kane replied.  
"The TV. He was watching it last night. Where does the electricity come from?"  
"A cable and adaptor. So we can run the TV, the lamp, video camera..."   
"Where are we?"  
"That's of no concern to you"


	16. Chapter Fifteen

RING! RING!  
Kian had been standing next to the phone when it began to ring. He quickly answered it, turning away from his friends.  
"This is he," Kian replied. "A lead? Really?"  
"Who is it?" Bryan whispered.  
"Officer Readen" Kian whispered, covering the mouthpiece. He turned his attention back to the conversation.  
"You think it's just a co-incidence?" Kian said into the phone.

Bryan and Kerry exchanged a look as Kian continued his conversation. Shane appeared in the doorway and spotted Kian on the phone.  
"Who’s he talking to?" Shane asked them.  
"Officer Readen" Bryan told him.  
"Good news?" he asked, hopefully.  
"We don't know yet"  
"I understand..." Kian said. "Thanks for calling... bye"

Kian replaced the phone and turned to his friends.  
"Well?" Shane asked him.  
"That was Officer Readen" Kian told them.  
"We know! Get to the point" Bryan replied.  
"He was just calling to let us know something interesting"  
"What?" Bryan, Kerry and Shane asked in unison.  
"Apparently, he received a phone call this morning from someone asking if the trial was still set for two weeks time. Said this person heard a rumour that the men were set to be released. He was surprised to hear these men were still in prison"  
"You think it was one of the men that took Nicky?" Bryan asked.  
"Jim wasn't sure. He said it might have been" Kian told them, glancing at Shane.  
"So, they were serious? About wanting their friends released?" Shane asked.  
"Looks like it. Then, it could have just been some stupid reporter snooping around... Looking for something to write about"  
"But... What if it really was them?"  
"I don't know. He also said that he tried to call your cell phone. So there could be a voicemail from Jim there for you"  
"All right. I'll check it later"

*-*-*-*-*

Tobey dropped down through the trap door, pulling it closed behind him. He dropped to the floor and walked over to Kane.  
"Still no luck," he admitted. "Chris and co. are still behind bars"  
"You don't think Filan'll give in?" the younger man asked him.  
"He will. We just need to find another way to convince him..."  
Tobey and Kane both turned their attention to the blonde chained against the far-wall. The young singer could hear their every word and was now beginning to shrink back; desperately hoping the wall would open up and swallow him.

Tobey couldn't stop a grin from forming on his face as he approached the blonde. His smile widened as he saw the young blonde start in fear at his approach. He squatted directly in front of the singer and cupped his hand beneath his chin. He tipped Nicky's head up forcing the blonde to look at him.  
"Your friends haven't been very obedient, Angel" Tobey hissed. "I think it's time to let Shane have a taste of what's to happen to you"  
"You won't get away with this," Nicky managed say. His eyes narrowing in a mixture of fear and anger. "I... I'll call for help!"

The older man laughed. "Scream all you like. There's no one around here for miles." He leaned closer to the young singer and Nicky shrank back against the wall. "As a matter of fact, scream as loud as you can. I want that sorry boyfriend of yours to know what real pain's really like."  
Tobey reached out and took the blonde's wrists. He unhooked the chain, leaving his wrists tied together. Then he rose up from his squatting position and stood with his legs on either side of the singer. From Nicky's angle where he sat on the floor, it was a terrifying vision seeing Tobey tower above him.

"Kane!" Tobey called over his shoulder. "Get the camera!"  
Tobey reached into his pocket and extracted a black ski mask.  
"For old time's sake," he said, before pulling the mask over his face.  
Nicky felt sick. He knew that there was no way out. Yet there was also no way that he was going down without a fight. In his mind, he had already mapped out what he was going to do.  
Tobey donned his ski mask and then reached out, grabbing the younger man by the shoulders, hauling him up from his sitting position.

"Come on, Angel. On yer knees," he commanded as he dropped Nicky back on the floor. Slowly and weakly, the blonde singer crawled up onto his knees and found Tobey's crotch inches away from his face. He screwed his eyes shut and said a silent prayer in his heart, asking for forgiveness for what he was about to do.  
"Open your eyes," Tobey hissed.  
When his captive didn't react immediately in compliance, he reached out and grabbed a fist-full of his hair. "I said open your goddamn eyes!" Nicky flinched and reluctantly forced himself to open his eyes.  
"And, Action!" Kane stated, his voice coming from somewhere to the singer's right. Tobey grinned down at the blonde, forcing his head up so that he looked directly at him. "Come on, Angel. Make me come!"

Trembling, Nicky nodded hesitantly and slowly brought his linked hands up. He tried to unbuckle Tobey's belt but his trembling fingers made the task near impossible. After several more unsuccessful tries, the older man swore and undid the belt himself, pulling viciously at it until it whipped through the belt loops. The belt came free, and the blonde flinched in pain as the leather stung his face and neck by accident before Tobey threw it onto the floor.  
The belt off Tobey's pants, the singer now had to work his numb fingers to open the tight button above the zip. He could see the bulge already straining against the fabric and had to keep himself from throwing up at the heavy stench of Tobey's pre-cum.

"Hold it," came Kane's voice from across the room. Tobey and Nicky both looked in his direction, the young singer dropping his hands in relief when he heard the command. His relief was premature. Kane had already had his trousers undone and had dropped them to his ankles, leaving him standing there in his boxers. He looked from Tobey to Nicky and smiled. "Remember, We have to learn to share," he motioned to the video camera, which he had mounted on a tripod, "why don't we fuck him together?"

Nicky looked at Kane with pure hatred and disgust in his eyes. Kane grinned at him and took out his own ski mask, pulling it down over his face. "You see, sweetie, we just can't get enough of you."

Adjusting the ski mask, he stepped out of his trousers and walked over to the two men.  
"You should be honored, you know. Only the best of the best get seconds." The blonde continued to glare at him. Tobey smirked and stepped away. "You can go first. But I want the next two rounds."

Kane looked up at Tobey and smiled. "Deal." Leaning over, he pressed his lips against Nicky's in a forced kiss before slowly getting up and releasing his erect penis through the hole in his boxer shorts.   
"Now get busy, boy." He bent down and took up Nicky's bound hands, placing them on his rigid member. "I want you to touch me, smell me, feel me, and when you have finished, lick me, suck me, and make me cum."

Swallowing his pride, the blonde began to move his hands over Kane's member. From the corner of his eye he could see Tobey beginning to stroke himself. Tears of humiliation blurred his vision as he groped and stroked blindly, feeling Kane's tool growing in his hands and hating the moans that emanated from above. He blinked away the tears furiously. He had to focus if he wanted his plan to work.

"Kiss it," Kane said hoarsely.  
This was the moment he had been waiting for. He bent his head over the cock and placed his lips over it in one quick movement. Kane gave a sudden scream - in pure agony. For when Nicky had taken Kane's member into his mouth, he had bitten down upon it as hard as he could.

With lightning speed, the younger boy released Kane's bleeding member and scrambled to the ladder, dodging past Tobey who was still staring in stunned amazement at his injured partner-in-crime.

"Get him!" screamed Kane, as he lay doubled up on the floor clutching at his bleeding genitals. This shook Tobey into action. With a roar of fury, he headed out the door after Nicky.  
The blonde singer had barely made it out of the trap door when he saw Tobey coming after him. He pulled the door closed and fumbled with the lock. He backed away and made a mad dash towards the open door.

Once outside he spotted a large clump of trees, he stumbled as fast as he could in the direction of the woods, hoping to lose Tobey in there. Unfortunately, his legs weren't co-operating. He had been sitting down for hours and his sudden burst of speed in climbing the ladder and running away, had sapped almost all of his remaining energy. It was all that he could do to keep himself from falling over.

Almost there, he told himself as the trees swirled before him. Just a little bit more... Suddenly he was brought crashing to the ground as Tobey tackled him around the legs. Screaming in frustration, he kicked out and struggled as hard as he could, lashing out with his feet as the older man grimly held him down.  
The last thing he saw was Tobey's huge fist heading for his jaw before his world exploded into a white hot burst of stars. Then darkness began to close over him.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

When Nicky awoke, he once again found himself chained to the back wall. Kane was lying on the couch, still nursing his injury. He rolled over, causing the chain to rustle, the sound echoed through the small room.  
"My Angel's awake," he heard Tobey say.  
The blonde blinked and slowly attempted to sit up. He saw Kane sit up and glare at him. Despite his injured state, Kane leaped off the couch and covered the space between him and the singer. He stood directly in front of the blonde and backhanded him. Nicky's head fell back, hitting the wall. He groaned as the pain in his head intensified.

"You little shit!" Kane shouted.  
"You deserved it," he whispered.  
"Fuck! You do it again and I promise you... Shane will pay for your foolish mistake!"  
"No!"

Kane turned away and slowly hobbled back across the room. He collapsed on the couch and groaned again in pain. Tobey took this opportunity to kneel beside Nicky. He unlaced the blonde's shoe and removed it. He untied the other one and removed it too.  
"You try to run for it again and I'll make you pay," Tobey hissed. "But, not as much as Shane will!"  
"Leave Shane alone, please?" he pleaded.  
"Oh, I love it when you beg"

By now, Tobey had removed both of his captive's shoes. He paused for a moment, deep in thought. Then he reached into his pocket and retrieved his pocket knife. He used his knife to tear the fabric of the blonde's shirt and remove it. Leaving the young singer chained to the wall in nothing more than his jeans.  
"Too bad you'll never hear it again," Nicky said, attempting to sound braver than he actually felt.  
"Oh, I will!" Tobey insisted. "My angel, I will"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane picked up his cell phone and switched it on. The screen read '3 messages received'. He sighed, knowing they were from Officer Readen. He put the phone down and shook his head in frustration.  
"Shane?" Kerry asked.  
"What?" Shane replied.  
"I'm sorry for disturbing you. I was just wondering if you'd like something to eat?"  
"Uh, sure. I'll be right there"  
Shane stood up and followed Kerry into the Kitchen.

"So," Bryan asked him. "What were you doing?"  
"I was just, I was about to check my voice-mail. Three messages"  
"Three?" Kian replied. "Jim only called your cell once"  
"It was probably just my mum. You know she calls every second day"  
"Are you going to tell her about Nicky?"  
"I don't know"  
"Should we tell Nicky's parents?"  
"Well, I don't want to scare them. I mean, they should know but I don't have the courage to tell them just yet"

"I understand. Would... Would you like me to call them?" Kian offered.  
"Oh, Ki. It's okay. I... I feel that I should do it. It's just hard. What with it being my fault and all"  
"Shane! How many times do I have to tell you? This is not your fault!"  
"It is entirely my fault"  
"How?" Kerry asked. "Shane, sweetheart, why do you believe this is your fault?"  
"Because they want something from me. The last time Nicky got hurt, it was because they wanted to hurt me. They knew that using Nicky would hurt more than if they had actually physically hurt me"  
"Your weakness"  
"Yeah. They used Nicky to hurt me once and now they're going to do it again"

"What do they want this time?" Bryan asked.  
"Well, when they were here" Kian spoke up. "It.... It seemed to me, like they just wanted him. I saw the look in his eyes when he had Nicky. It was like when he looked at Nicky... he couldn't see anything else. Like nothing else mattered to him"  
"So we have to get Nicky back" Bryan stated. "We have to get him away from that jerk"  
"That's easier said than done, Bry" Kerry told him.  
"I know"

*-*-*-*-*

Kane remained on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. Tobey passed the hours by travelling in and out of the room. Not once did Nicky even think of making an escape. By now his wrists were becoming sore from the restraints. The older man dropped down through the trapdoor and pulled it closed behind him. He crossed the room and surveyed the objects on the table. Nicky shifted his position, trying to get a glimpse of the contents of the table.

Tobey turned around, smirking at the blonde. He shifted his gaze back to the table, all the while focusing his attention on his prey.  
"So many toys," He began. "What to use first?"  
He reached out and picked up a knife. He noticed the young singer's eyes widen with fear and smirked before placing the 'toy' back on the table.

Nicky was afraid to show his relief. He slowly backed away, forcing himself against the wall. Once again praying the wall would open and swallow him whole. Tobey continued his explorations. He reached out and picked up the Polaroid camera. He raised the camera to his eye, peering through the viewfinder.  
"Smile for the camera!" he hissed at the blonde.  
The young singer didn't even flinch. He remained frozen against the wall in fear. The flash from the camera temporarily blinded him. Tobey removed the photo from the camera and stared at the image, waiting for it to develop.

"Kane!" Tobey hissed. "Kane, wake up!"  
"What?" Kane replied his voice laced with sleep.  
"Take the camera"   
Tobey crossed over to the couch and handed the camera to his friend. Kane took the camera while rubbing his eyes with his other hand.  
"What for?" Kane asked, now examining the camera.  
"I'm going to play with some of these toys" Tobey replied.  
"So?"  
"So I want Shane to see where I'm going to put them"  
"Can I play too?"  
"No"  
"But...!"

"Kane!" Tobey turned, glaring at his young friend. "Now it's my turn to play. And if you don't do as I say... You won't get any playtime, understand?"   
"But... I..."  
"KANE!!"  
Tobey glared at his friend. Kane remained seated on the couch, his eyes widened in fear. Never before had he seen so much anger in Tobey's eyes.  
"Fine" Kane agreed, not wanting to get on Tobey's bad side.  
"Good" Tobey replied, turning his back on Kane and crossing back to Nicky.

Tobey stood in front of Nicky, placing his legs on either side of the blonde. The younger man dared to look up. The sight of Tobey looming above him was as frightening as the previous time. He pulled at his restraints, desperate to get away from this man. He continued to stare at his captor, his body kept him frozen to the spot. The look in Tobey's eyes was terrifying.   
The older man reached out and cupped Nicky's chin in his hand. The young singer was clearly terrified and Tobey found this arousing.  
"I'm ready to play," he whispered. "And you're my favourite toy!"

The blonde swallowed hard before composing himself. He stared up at Tobey and spat in his eye. Tobey leaped back, releasing his hold on the younger man. He wiped the spit from his eye and turned on Nicky. He raised his fist and backhanded the blonde.  
"You are so going to pay for that!" Tobey hissed.  
He turned away from Nicky and walked over to the table. He picked up a cardboard box and swept all the 'toys' into the box. He dropped the box on the floor and crossed back over to the restrained singer.  
Tobey reached up and unhooked the chain. He pulled the blonde to his feet and dragged him across the room. Nicky instantly began to struggle, desperate to get away. The older man quickly released Nicky, the singer fell to the ground and Tobey kicked him.

Nicky folded his body into a ball, trying to protect himself from the attack. After several kicks, the attack transferred to Tobey's hands and he began to punch him. The pain from the assault was too much for the blonde and he closed his eyes, ready to pass out.  
Then, quickly as it started, the attack stopped. Tobey grabbed the blonde and picked him up. He dragged the singer over to the table and lay him on top.   
Tobey's hands reached for the zip of Nicky's pants.

The young singer was vaguely aware of the hands on his body. He was still in pain from the recent attack and he didn't even think of fighting back. By now, he was naked and the coolness of the room struck his body like ice. His body was draped over the table. Tobey smirked and rolled him onto his stomach. He turned his attention to the box of toys and located a vibrator. He turned it on and positioned it at Nicky's entrance. Tobey could clearly see this model was at least two sizes too large for the younger man but he didn't care.  
"Kane! Camera!" Tobey hissed.

Kane picked up the camera and held it up to his eye. Tobey slammed the vibrator inside the young blonde, a loud tortured scream escaping the singer’s mouth. The flash reflected around the room as Kane took a photo.  
Nicky's head continued to pound, the pain shooting through his body was almost unbearable. He closed his eyes, tears forming underneath his lashes.  
Tobey walked around to the front of the table. He dropped his pants and stared down at the tortured blonde. He reached out and collected a fist full of his hair.  
"Suck me" Tobey hissed. "And if you even think about biting me, I'll stick my hand so far up your ass, you'll be begging me for the vibrator"

Tobey pulled at Nicky's hair, causing the blonde to scream. As Nicky's mouth opened, Tobey thrust his erection inside. The young blonde nearly choked on the older man's member. He could feel his stomach churning and wondered what Tobey would do to him if he threw up. His captor began to thrust inside the singer's mouth, pushing his head against the back of Nicky's throat.

The pain coursing through his body was unbearable. He didn't have time to decide which was more painful, the vibrator inside him or Tobey's hardness in his mouth. As Tobey shot his load into Nicky, the young blonde began to choke. He felt Tobey pull out but his felt no relief and his tears continued to fall. The assault on his mouth finally came to an end and Tobey took a step back, watching the blonde whimper from the pain of the vibrator.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Sex wasn't meant to hurt like this. His tears continued to flow as he remembered his night with Shane. Shane had been so patient and gentle with him. It had been special and loving. 

Nothing like this.

Tobey was all about pain while Shane had been about trust and love. He missed Shane so much. All Nicky wanted was to be at home with Shane. Shane would never hurt him like this. Shane loved him. He surrendered to the pain and passed out.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Shane was at a loss. He couldn't concentrate and his friends were beginning to worry about him. Bryan, Kerry, Mark, Jade and Bobby had taken to visiting on a regular basis. It was very rare that Kian and Shane were left alone in the house for more than a half hour.  
Although he hadn't said anything he really appreciated all their support. He knew they were just as worried about Nicky as he was but he still found comfort in their presence.

Shane was in the backyard, on the porch swing. His cell phone was on the seat beside him. He knew he had several voice mails to check but he couldn't. He didn't feel like dealing with other people yet.  
The backdoor opened and Bobby appeared.

"You like it out here," Bobby began. "Don't ya?"  
"It's okay" Shane replied. "Of course, it's better when Nicky's here with me"  
"I know. They will find him"  
"I hope so"  
"If there's anything I can do for you, just ask"

Shane picked up his cell phone and tossed it to Bobby.  
"I need someone to check my messages" Shane admitted. "I can't handle it right now. Can you check them and if it's important call them and tell them I'm sorry but I can't talk to them right now. I just need some time"  
"I understand. How many messages are there?"  
"Last time I checked, three but there is probably about ten by now"  
"No problem"

Bobby turned on his heel and headed back inside, taking Shane's phone with him. Shane watched his friend leave before laying down on the swing. He pulled his legs up to his chest and closed his eyes. Try as he might, he couldn't hold back his tears.  
"I'm so sorry Nicky" Shane whispered. "I just wish I knew if you were okay"

As Bobby entered the house, Kian stopped in the doorway and looked out at Shane. The older boy was a mess. From his position, the younger boy could see the tears flowing down his friend's cheeks.  
Kian stepped out onto the porch and walked over to him. He sat down on the ground in front of the swing and reached his hand out, lightly stroking Shane's hair.  
"I miss him" Shane whispered.  
"I know" the blonde replied.  
"I love him"  
"I know"

Shane opened his eyes and looked at his friend.  
"He... He doesn't deserve this" Shane continued.  
"No, he doesn't" Kian agreed.  
"I finally thought he was going to be okay. He... He gave himself to me. He showed me how much he loved me"  
Kian leaned closer and pulled Shane into a hug. The dark haired boy rested his head on Kian's shoulder and continued to sob.  
"He trusted me. We... we made love... And, and now he's been taken away from me. What if I don't get him back? I can't live without him, Ki"  
"I know. But they will find him. I know they will"  
"He must be so scared"  
"Were you?"  
"What?"  
"When they took you. I mean I know you don't like to talk about that kind of stuff but... With Nicky being gone, does it make you remember what happened? What it was like for you. Were you scared?"  
"What kind of question is that? I was terrified, Ki"  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."  
"I can't even begin to imagine what he must be feeling. I know that what happened to me was bad, but will it be worse for him? Chris had no intention of killing me but will they kill Nicky?"  
"If they were going to kill him, wouldn't they have done it here... In front of you?"  
"I... I guess"

"Shane?"  
Kian and Shane cast their attention to the back door. Bobby was standing in the open door way, Shane's mobile phone was in his hand.  
"Bobby?" Shane asked.  
"There's... uh, I think you should hear this..."  
Bobby handed the phone to Shane and watched him in silence. Shane took the phone and pressed a certain key. He held the phone up to his ear and listened to the message. 

"Shay?" Nicky's soft voice spilled from the earpiece. Shane's hand flew to his mouth in shock. "It's just me, I... I found my cell phone. But, I don't know where I am. I... I think it's underground. I miss you, so much. I hope you're okay. I love you"  
Shane pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it.  
"Nicky," he whispered.  
"Shane?" Kian asked, concerned. "Shane, what is it?"  
"Nicky" Shane confessed. "He... he found his mobile and left me a voice-mail. That means he has his phone! The... The garda can trace the call, right?"  
"Let's not jump to conclusions..." Kian told him.  
"But, it was Nicky. He sounded scared... He, we need to help him. We have to find him"  
"Are you sure it was him?"  
"It was. I know it was"  
"Maybe we should call Jim?" Kian suggested.

*-*-*-*-*

Nicky was slowly beginning to regain consciousness. The blonde was almost afraid to open his eyes. He didn't want the nightmare to continue. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself still chained to the wall. The pain shooting through his body reminded him of Tobey's latest attack.   
His eyes began to roam around the room, searching for Tobey and Kane. He quickly discovered that he was alone. However, he felt no relief from this discovery. Despite being alone, he was still chained to the wall and in too much pain to attempt an escape. 

A noise from across the room caught his attention. He instinctively pulled at his cuffs, causing the chain to rattle against the wall. A face appeared from over the back of the couch. It was Kane.  
"Ready for another round?" Kane asked him.  
The singer kept his mouth closed, not wanting to say anything. He didn't want to make a mistake and say something that would encourage another attack.  
"What? Suddenly you're too good to talk to me?" Kane continued.

Nicky shrank back against the wall as Kane stood up. His approach was slow, deliberately frightening the young blonde. Kane paused directly in front of Nicky and dropped to his knees. He reached out and placed his hand on the blonde's cheek.  
The younger man flinched and tried to pull away. Kane tightened his grip and leaned forward, forcing his lips upon Nicky's. He separated the younger man's lips with his tongue and forced his way inside the singer's mouth.

After several terrifying minutes, Kane released the blonde. Nicky pulled away, attempting to spit Kane's taste from his mouth. His assailant glared at him, furious at the young singer. Kane raised his fist and punched him.  
"You little fuck!" he snapped.  
He raised his fist, once again preparing to hit the blonde. Nicky struggled to get away but the chain held him firmly in place. Kane's attack was swift and painful. He closed his eyes, praying the attack would soon end. Each hit was harder than the previous one.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. He dared to open his eyes. Kane was now on the floor, several feet away from him. Tobey was above him, pummeling his friend with all his might.  
"I warned you," Tobey shouted. "I told you!"  
"Tobey," Kane hissed. "I didn't mean..."  
"You stay away from him. Don't even look at him"

Tobey ended his assault on Kane, turning his attention to the singer.  
"What did he do to you?" he asked Nicky. "Did he hurt you?"  
Nicky didn't reply. He was too shocked. Why would Tobey care what Kane did to him?  
"Kane," Tobey spun around to look at his friend.  
Kane pulled himself to his feet and leaped at his friend. The two men fell to the ground, both fighting for control. Being the older and stronger of the two, Tobey was the first to get the upper hand and punched Kane directly in the face.  
"You touch him again," Tobey hissed. "Without my permission and I promise.... I will kill you"

"You said he was ours!" Kane replied, gasping for breath. "You promised we'd share him"  
The older reached into his pocket and retrieved the photographs Kane had taken earlier. He tossed them to Kane and smirked.  
"Take these to Shane," Tobey replied, ignoring Kane's comment. "Show him what he's missing out on"  
"Why should I do what you say?"  
"Because if you don't get caught, then you will have my permission. And I'll let you play for a little while. Okay?"  
"You'll let me fuck him?"  
"When you get back"  
Kane was on his feet and climbing up the ladder before Tobey could finish his reply. The older man watched him in silence. The door closed and he turned his attention back to his blonde captive.  
"Don't worry, my Angel" Tobey told him. "He won't be touching you any time soon. Your body is mine. You belong to me and only me"

Nicky averted his eyes. The way Tobey was leering at him was disturbing. But the voice of reason in Nicky's head spoke to him loud and clear.  
'I belong to Shane'


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Jim had shown up not long after Kian made the phone call. When Shane told him about the voice-mail message Nicky had left him, Jim couldn't help but feel a touch of relief.  
Shane, himself, had been over the moon since Bobby's discovery of the message. He was angry with himself, for not checking his messages sooner. The entire group all seemed happy by this discovery, which is why Jim hated to break up their fantasy.

"Are you certain it's a new message?" Jim asked.  
"Yes," Shane replied. "He said that he found his cell phone and that he didn't know where he was. He said that he was underground. Why else would he say something like that? He sounded scared, too. And the time and date that the message came through was after he had been taken"  
"I understand how you all must be feeling but I must remain skeptical. Are you sure it was Nicky?"  
"Yes. I know my fiancé’s voice. He said that he misses me and that he loves me. It was definitely him"  
"I... I need to hear it. For evidence"

Shane picked up his phone and handed it to Jim. Kian stepped closer to him and placed his hand on Shane's shoulder. Jim stepped aside and played back the message. He listened carefully then re-played it.   
After listening to it a few more times, he had memorized it. He handed the phone back to Shane, picked up a pen and his notebook and wrote down Nicky's message.  
"We need it for reference" Jim told them. Shane nodded.  
"But, you can trace the call? Right?" Shane asked, his voice hopeful.  
"Possibly. But it's a cell phone. It could take up to a week to trace that particular call"  
"We don't have a week"  
"Maybe not. But it's the best I can do. There's nothing more we can do right now. When I get back to the station, I'll contact the phone company but it will take at least four days"  
"Then go!"

Jim nodded and decided to follow Shane's advice. He said a quick goodbye to them before leaving. Once he was gone, the room was still filled with silence.  
"What now?" Mark asked.  
"Now. Now we wait," Kian replied.

*-*-*-*-*

The black van pulled up to the curb and came to a halt. Kane pulled the keys from the ignition and climbed out of the van. He reached into his pocket, checking to make sure he still had the photos. He glanced around, wanting to be sure no one was watching him. Kane sighed and approached the house.  
From the yard, he could see several people in the Living room. He approached the front porch and paused, a small dog was asleep on the welcome mat. Kane quietly dropped the envelope on the doorstep and backed away. Once he was a safe distance away, he picked up a rock and tossed it towards the window.  
He heard the satisfactory sound of breaking glass, followed by the sound of the dog barking and he ran the rest of the way to his van. He climbed inside and looked out the front windscreen. Mark, Kian and Shane were now in the yard. Mark was holding the envelope in his hand, examining it cautiously.  
Kane placed the keys in the ignition and stared the van. Without a second glance, he slammed his foot on the accelerator and took off down the street.

*-*-*-*-*

Kian, Mark, Jade and Bobby were in the Living room while Shane occupied himself in the Kitchen. Bryan had taken Kerry and Molly home for a break. Shane wished he could take a break but he wouldn't. He refused to take a break until he had his lover back.  
The sound of breaking glass caught Shane's attention and sent him running into the Living room. Mark and Jade were sitting on the couch while Bobby and Kian were standing near the broken window. Mark had his arms around Jade, comforting her.  
"What happened?" Shane asked.  
"Rock" Bobby replied, pointing to the rock on the floor.

Shane ran across the room and into the front hall. Instantly, Kian and Mark followed him. Bobby and Jade remained in the Living room. Shane opened the front door and ran out into the yard. He looked at the broken window then around at the yard.  
"Arf! Arf!"  
Shane turned around and for the first time, noticed that Freddy was in the yard. The small dog was barking at something Shane couldn't see. He glanced in the direction Freddy was barking, in time to see a black van disappear from sight.  
"FUCK!" Shane shouted.

"Shane?" Mark spoke up.  
"It was a van," Shane stated. "A black van"  
"Shane," Mark said again.  
"What?"  
"I think this is for you"

Mark slowly held his hand out, offering the envelope to his friend. Shane reached out and took it. He examined it closely, almost afraid to open it.  
"What... What do you think it is?" Shane asked, his voice shaking.  
"M... Maybe you shouldn't open it" Kian spoke up. "I think we should go back inside. We need to call Jim"  
"Again?"  
"Someone just broke our Living room window"  
"Come on," Mark said. "Let's just get inside"  
Shane nodded. He averted his eyes and cast a glance at the still barking dog. Mark placed his hand on Shane's shoulder and began to lead him inside.  
"Freddy," Shane called. "Inside"  
The puppy stopped barking and looked up at his owner. Shane, Kian and Mark entered the house. Kian held the front door open, waiting for the puppy to come inside.

"What happened?" Bobby asked. "Did you see anyone?"  
"I... I saw a black van" Shane replied.  
"The same one I saw leave here?" Jade asked.  
"I don't know. Probably. We need to call Jim"  
"Did it" Bobby confessed. "While you were outside. Even if you didn't see anyone out there, bottom line is someone broke your window"  
"Mark found this" Shane held up the sealed envelope.  
"What is it?" Jade asked.  
"An envelope"  
"I can see that. What's inside it?"  
"I... I don't know. I don't want to open it"

"Uh, I will" Bobby ventured. "If you don't want to. I'll do it"  
Shane nodded and handed the envelope to him. He was visibly aware of how much his hand was shaking. Bobby took the envelope from him and carefully opened it. 

He pulled the contents out and glanced at them. He felt his stomach twist and quickly shoved the images back into the envelope.  
"What?" Shane asked. "What is it?"  
"I'm sorry, Shane" Bobby replied.  
"Nicky?"  
"I'm afraid so"  
"No. Just, I don't..." Shane stammered. "Keep them away from me"  
"Don't worry. Jim will be here soon. Then we can give them to him"

*-*-*-*-*

Kane dropped down the ladder, barely able to control his excitement. He had done exactly as Tobey had asked. He remembered his run-in with his friend and shivered. He had never seen his friend so angry before. Remembering Tobey's actions was almost enough to make Kane walk away for good. But he couldn't.  
The part of him that was scared to go back wasn't as powerful as his want for the blonde singer. He knew there were other men (and women) out there that he could take advantage of but there was something about Nicky that captivated him.

Kane knew that Tobey could be overprotective but he wouldn't do anything stupid. He also kept all, well most, of his promises. Tobey had promised Kane a turn with the blonde singer and there was no way Kane was going to miss out on a chance to fuck the young singer.

"Tobey?" Kane greeted him. "I'm back"  
"Anyone see you?" he asked him.  
"I don't think so"  
"Good"  
"So, can I play now?"  
"You can play later"  
"But you promised"  
"I know and I will keep that promise. I'll let you have him all day tomorrow. Okay?"  
"You mean it? All day?"  
"Yes"  
"How do I know I can trust you to keep this promise?"  
"You don't"

Kane turned his back on Tobey, casting his gaze upon the blonde in the corner. He couldn't blame his friend for being obsessed with this creature. He was fascinating and if Kane wanted him again, he knew he had no choice but to do as Tobey said.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

It was still early when Kane made his way out to the barn, the following morning. He opened the barn door and navigated his way around the bales of hay. He reached the trapdoor and tried to open it. To his surprise, it wouldn't open. He cast a look around the barn but couldn't understand why the trapdoor wouldn't open. He dropped down to his knees and tried once again to open it. He still couldn't budge it.

Tobey looked up at the trapdoor and took a swig from his beer bottle. He lowered the bottle and smirked. The lock he had installed was working perfectly. He knew he was being selfish but he didn't care. He couldn't stand the thought of sharing the young singer. The older man turned around and moved away from the ladder. He crossed the room and dropped down to his knees, pausing in front of the blonde. He placed his beer on the floor beside Nicky and reached out with his other hand to stroke the blonde's cheek.  
"You are so beautiful," Tobey whispered. "Just looking at you... Makes me want to fuck you"

Nicky flinched and he wanted to pull away from his captor. However, his fear kept him frozen to the spot. Tobey's eyes were filled with hunger and lust. It was the kind of look that would haunt the blonde for the next few months. He didn't understand where Tobey's feelings were coming from. He knew that what the other man felt for him wasn't love. It couldn't be love. Love was what Nicky felt for Shane, had always felt for Shane and would always feel for him.

Tobey reached out, picked up the bottle and took another mouth full. Then he leaned forward and kissed the blonde, passing the liquid from his mouth to Nicky's. The young singer was less than eager to accept the offering and refused to allow the beer enter his mouth.  
The liquid rolled down his chin and dripped onto his chest. Tobey pulled away and smiled at him. Then he leaned forward and licked the unwanted beer from his chest.

The feel of Tobey's tongue repulsed him and he tried to focus on something else. Anything else. But his attempt failed when he felt Tobey's lips on his. His first instinct was to pull away but, by now, the older man's hand was firmly placed behind his neck. His other hand traveled south and paused on Nicky's butt.  
Tobey's hand made it's way into the blonde's back pocket and, for a brief second, he paused. Suddenly he pulled away from the blonde. He glared at him, a look of anger flashed through his eyes.  
"What the hell is this?" Tobey asked, holding up Nicky's mobile phone.

"I... It..." Nicky couldn't speak. He didn't want to speak, from fear of saying something he shouldn't.  
"Have you been making some phone calls?" Tobey asked him. "Have you been sending messages to your little boyfriend?"

Nicky dared to look at Tobey. He didn't know what to say. He had sent a message to Shane but he had no idea if Shane had received it. But was he supposed to lie to his kidnappers or tell them the truth?  
"No" he replied, his voice shaking.  
"Are you lying to me?" his assailant sneered.  
"No"  
"Do you want to call him?"  
"What?"  
"Please, allow me"

*-*-*-*

Shane's mobile was sitting on the nightstand beside his bed. The sound of the phone ringing was enough to awaken him from his slumber. He rolled over and reached for his phone. He picked it up and looked at the screen.  
'Cutie Pie' flashed across the screen and he almost dropped the phone. It was Nicky's mobile. He had programmed his number in Nicky's mobile memory as 'Sweetie Pie' and in return Nicky had programmed his number into Shane's phone as 'Cutie Pie'.  
Shane hit the answer button and held the phone up to his ear. His heart was pounding at the very thought of hearing his lover's voice again.

"Nicky?" Shane asked.  
"Not quite" came the reply.  
"Where's Nicky? What have you done to him? Who are you?"  
"Please... One question at a time"

Shane took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down.  
"What have you done to Nicky?" Shane asked.  
"A lot" 

*-*-*-*

Nicky watched the older man carefully. He didn't dare try anything but the thought of Shane being on the other end of that phone call gave Nicky a glimmer of hope. Tobey made 'small-talk' with Shane for a few seconds, the entire time, keeping eye contact with Nicky.  
The singer could almost see an idea forming in Tobey's eyes and he felt himself shudder. If this sick-o had an idea than he could guarantee that he, Nicky, wouldn't like it.

"See for yourself" Tobey said into the phone.  
To Nicky's surprise, the older man held the phone out to him. He held the handset to Nicky's ear, allowing him to speak to Shane. The blonde opened his mouth but couldn't form the words. The very thought of hearing Shane's voice was almost too good to be true.

"Sh... Shay?" he stammered.  
"Nix? Oh God. Nicky, is that you?" Shane asked, his voice seemingly on the edge of hysteria.  
"Shane. I miss you so much"  
"It... It's so good to hear your voice"  
"It's good to hear yours too"

Suddenly Tobey pulled the phone away from the blonde and placed it back against his own ear.  
"Oh, I love you too Shane" he laughed into the phone.  
"You bastard!" Shane almost shouted. "You touch one hair on his head and I swear to God, I will kill you and everyone else you've got working for you"  
"But you don't know where I am"  
"I'll find you. I won't stop until I find you and I have Nicky back"  
"At least you got to hear his voice. Would you like to hear it again?"

*-*-*-*

Shane pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it. What did he mean by that? Surely he wasn't just going to give the phone back to Nicky for no particular reason?  
"Let me talk to him again" Shane said.  
"No" Tobey replied.

Shane slowly pushed back the duvet and climbed out of bed.  
"But you just said..."  
"I know what I said"  
"What do you want from us?"  
"This has nothing to do with you, Shane. This is all about my Nicky"  
"He is not yours!"  
"Shhh. Now Shane, I think you need to calm down"  
"How can I calm down when you won't let me talk to the man I love?"  
"Then allow him to talk to you"

*-*-*-*

Tobey reached out and brushed his free hand through Nicky's hair. He could feel the younger boy's body trembling and he smirked. He retracted his hand and placed it on the zip of the singer's pants. The blonde shifted his gaze from the mobile phone to Tobey's eyes. He could see an evil glint shining in them.  
"We're going to play a little game," Tobey whispered.  
"What kind of game?" Nicky asked, his voice trembling as much as his body.

Tobey slowly lowered the zip and slid his hand inside Nicky's pants. The blonde gasped and pulled on the chains, desperate to get away from him. The older man placed the mobile phone up to his ear then held it in place with his shoulder. Then he gripped Nicky's jeans and pulled them off the blonde.  
"This is how it's going to work," Tobey told both Nicky and Shane. "I'm going to let you, Nicky, talk to you, Shane. But you have to do as I say. I'm going to do something and Nicky will tell Shane exactly what I'm doing"  
"No" the blonde pleaded.

Tobey reached out and gripped Nicky's cock. He took the mobile from his ear and held it up to Nicky's.  
"Now, come on Angel" he hissed. "Tell lover-boy what I'm doing"  
"No!" the blonde insisted.   
Tobey tightened his grip on the singer and squeezed him. Hard. Nicky bit his lip in an attempt to hold back a scream.

*-*-*-*

Shane heard Nicky's muffled scream and he placed his hand over his mouth. What was this sick-o doing to Nicky?  
"Nicky? Baby?" Shane whispered.  
"No" he heard his lover say.  
"That's it, Angel" Shane could hear the other man in the background. "I want to hear you beg"  
"Nix?" Shane gasped.

*-*-*-*

"NO!" Nicky pleaded, pulling at the chains. "Let me go!"  
Tobey leaned forward and placed his lips on Nicky's neck. He grazed his teeth along the skin before biting down, hard. Nicky whimpered in pain. Tobey became agitated at the blonde and released him. He raised his fist and backhanded him.  
"If you're not going to play my game..." Tobey threatened.  
He tossed the mobile phone aside and grabbed the young singer.

*-*-*-*

Shane heard the unmistakeable sound of flesh on flesh and he knew Tobey or Kane was hitting Nicky.  
"Nicky?" Shane shouted.  
The conversation and background sounds became softer and Shane feared something bad had happened. He assumed the phone had been tossed aside but he couldn't be sure.  
"Nicky?" he shouted again.

"Shane?"   
The door opened and Kian appeared.  
"Shane, what's going on?" Kian asked him. Shane turned around and spotted Kian.  
"Ki!" Shane stated. "It... It's Nicky. He... He's being hurt!"

*-*-*-*

Tobey was growing impatient with the young singer. He wanted him to know what humiliation was really like. He reached out and picked up the beer bottle.  
"Wanna know what it feels like?" Tobey asked him.  
"What?" Nicky asked, his eyes widening at the sight of the bottle.  
"Come on, Angel"  
"No! Please!"

Tobey smirked and began to laugh. Not just any laugh, the kind that sent an uneasy feeling down Nicky's spine. The kind of laugh that Nicky would never forget. He stared directly into the blonde’s eyes and positioned the glass bottle at Nicky's opening. He watched with excitement and he slid the bottle inside the young blonde.

*-*-*-*

The scream that escaped Nicky's lips struck Shane's heart like a dagger. What was he doing to Nicky? Why was he causing Nicky so much pain? Shane dropped the phone on the floor and buried his face in his hands. Kian ran to his friend’s side and wrapped his arms around him.

"Shane? What's going on?" Kian asked him. "What happened?"  
"Nicky" Shane sobbed. "He did something to him. He hurt him. I heard it"  
"Shhh. It is OK. It'll be okay"


	21. Chapter Twenty

Shane sat, unmoving, on the couch in the Living room. He couldn't make his body do anything. He was completely numb. The phone call continued to replay itself in his mind. He had been re-living the conversation for the past two hours.  
Kian had called Bryan and Mark and told them what had happened. Bryan had passed it on to Kerry while Mark passed it on to Jade and Bobby. Now they were all on their way to Shane's house to offer their support.

"I can't go on like this" Shane told Bobby.  
"You won't have to" Bobby told him. "Nicky will be home soon and everything will get better"  
"Where's Jade?"  
"College. She had her photography class. She wanted to skip it but Mark made her go. She said she'd come straight here after"  
Shane nodded.  
"Would you excuse me?" Shane said.  
"Sure" Bobby replied.  
Shane stood up and left the room.

*-*-*-*-*

Tobey sat back on the couch and stared down at the blonde. Once again, Nicky had passed out during the violation. Almost two hours had passed since then and Tobey was waiting for him to wake up.   
Kane had given up on trying to get down the trapdoor and disappeared. Tobey hadn't heard from him for a while and he wondered what he had gotten up to.  
He heard Nicky groan and knew he had finally awoken. Still clutching the bottle, Tobey stood up and approached Nicky.  
"Have a nice nap?" Tobey sneered.  
"Why are you doing this to me?" Nicky whispered.  
"Because I can"

Tobey sank to the floor beside Nicky and grabbed him by the chin. He forced the blonde's mouth open and placed the bottle in his mouth. He tipped the bottle back, forcing the beer into Nicky's mouth.  
Nicky refused to swallow and, once again, the liquid spilled out of his mouth and down his chin. When Tobey pulled the bottle away, Nicky spat the beer in his face.  
He pulled away from Nicky and in a fit of rage, knocked the bottle across Nicky's head. It smashed into several smaller pieces and hit the cement floor. A large gash appeared on Nicky's forehead and a small trickle of blood rolled down his temple.  
"Next time, you won't be so lucky"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane replaced the lid of the pen and dropped it back into the drawer. He re-read the letter once more before carefully folding it twice. He stood up and crossed the room, approaching his pack. He closed the case and sighed.  
A noise in the hall caught his attention and he listened closely. Someone was coming up the stairs. He quickly pushed the case under the bed and jumped onto the bed. He rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.  
The door opened and Shane concentrated on keeping his breathing even, wanting to convince his visitor that he was asleep.

Bryan peered into the room and spotted his friend asleep on the bed. Kerry appeared beside him, trying to see past him and check on Shane with her own eyes.  
"How is he?" She asked Bryan.  
"He's sleeping" Bryan whispered, believing his friend was asleep.  
"That doesn't mean that he's okay"  
"I know"  
"I wish there was something we could do. To help or at least cheer him up"  
"The only thing that would cheer him up would be for him to wake up and have Nicky with him"  
"And it doesn't look like that will be happening anytime soon"  
"Come on. We should just let him sleep"

Shane waited until he heard the door close and two sets of feet making their way down the stairs. He sat up and pulled his hand out from under the pillow. The letter was still clutched in his hand. He reached under the bed and retrieved his pack before placing the folded letter on his pillow. He approached the closet and located his jacket. Shane tossed the jacket on the bed with his case and walked over to the window. He glanced down into the backyard and sighed. Bobby, Kian, Mark, Bryan and Kerry were all in the yard. This was going to be easy.

Shane picked up his jacket and case and stepped out into the hallway. He quietly sneaked down the stairs, praying his friends wouldn't be coming inside any time soon. He reached the front door and collected his car keys from the hook. He opened the door and walked outside. He couldn't believe he had gotten away!

"Shane?"  
He froze. Shane slowly turned around and found himself face-to-face with Jade. Her eyes were full of concern for him. He almost didn't know what to say.  
"Jade" Shane greeted her. "Hi"  
"Where are you going?"  
"Please don't ask me that"  
"Shane..."  
"I don't know where I'm going"  
"But you're taking an overnight bag?"  
"Please don't try to stop me"

Shane stepped aside and walked around her, making his way towards his car. She was quick to follow him.  
"You're going to look for him, aren't you?" She asked him.  
"I have to" he replied.  
"Don't be ridiculous! You don't even know where to begin"  
"I don't care"  
"Think about it, Shane"  
"What is there to think about? Nicky is out there somewhere. He's in trouble... And he's scared... And he's being hurt. I need to find him. I have to help him"  
"Shane. You might as well be looking for a needle in a haystack. And the stack is the size of Ireland"  
"I don't care!" Shane repeated. "Please Jade. I know what I'm doing. I left a note for Ki in my room. Please, don't tell them. Wait for them to find the note. Please?"  
"This isn't a good idea"

"I can't just sit here and do nothing. Nicky needs me"  
Shane opened the door of his BMW and climbed in. He dropped his bag on the passenger seat and plugged his phone into the car-charger. He adjusted the mirror and looked at Jade.  
"I've got my mobile," he told her. "I'll be okay"  
"I know" she replied.  
"And I'm not coming back here without him"  
"I know. Good luck, Shane"  
"Thank you"

Jade remained in the yard watching as Shane backed his car down the drive and turned onto the street. She waved but didn't expect him to wave back. She continued waving, long after the car had disappeared from sight.  
"Good luck, Shane" she repeated.

*-*-*-*-*

It was over an hour later before someone decided to check on Shane. He had been up in his room all day and it wasn't healthy. Kian volunteered to go upstairs and get him. He bounded up the stairs and paused outside the door to Shane and Nicky's room. He raised his fist and knocked several times. No response. He knocked again and opened the door.  
The room was empty.

Kian wondered if Shane had gone to the bathroom. He was about to close the door when he spotted a piece of paper on the bed. He walked into the room and picked it up. It was a folded square of paper. He sat down on the bed and unfolded it. It was a letter for him from Shane. Well, he assumed it was from Shane because it was written in Shane's handwriting.

"Dear Kian,  
Please don't be mad at me for leaving. I'm sorry but I just can't stay here anymore. I now know that Nicky is in a lot of trouble and that I have to find him. I promise I'll be careful. I have my mobile but there's no point calling and trying to talk some 'sense' into me because I won't listen to you.  
Besides, no power on this earth will make me return home without him. Unless they find him first, then you can call me and I'll come home but until then... I need to be out here looking for him.  
That phone call this morning really opened my eyes and it scared me. Nicky was in pain, I could hear him but I couldn't do anything to help him. He needs me and I want to be there for him. I really am sorry for just walking out like this but please don't hate me for it. I hope you'll forgive me when I come home with my Nicky.  
Always,  
Shane  
P.S Make sure you take good care of Freddy for me and tell him I'll be home soon"

Kian dropped the letter on the bed and sighed. This really hadn't come as a surprise. He should have known that Shane couldn't just sit there and wait for someone to bring Nicky back. Even if Shane didn't find Nicky, it would do him some good to be out in the fresh country air. Just as long as he doesn't get mobbed by fans in the process.

Kian stood up and left the room. He walked down the stairs and into the Kitchen where all their friends were. Bryan instantly knew something was wrong.  
"What?" Bryan asked him. "What's happened?"  
"Shane's gone," Kian admitted.  
"He's missing?" Kerry asked.  
"He's gone to look for Nicky" Mark guessed.  
"Do you think he'll find him?" Jade asked them.  
"Let's hope so"


	22. Chapter Twenty One

Rain was steadily falling as Shane pulled his car over to the side of the road. He sighed and switched on the light. He picked up the map and examined it. The more he thought about it, the worse he began to feel. He had been driving all afternoon but still hadn't gotten anywhere. It all came down to the fact that Nicky was still missing and Shane still had no idea where he was.  
Shane spotted a sign for a Bed & Breakfast and started the car once more. He drove another mile before pulling into a small driveway. He drove up to a large house and stopped the car. He removed the key from the ignition and climbed out.  
The B&B itself appeared to be quite small. A long paved driveway covered the distance from the roadside to the front porch. Several chairs lined the porch of the white two-storey house.  
Shane slid his keys into his pocket and approached the front door. He slowly raised his fist and knocked. A few minutes later, the door opened and an elderly woman greeted him.

"Hello there," She greeted him. "Can I help you young man?"  
"Good evening," Shane smiled politely. "I was just passing through and was hoping you might have a spare room for the night?"  
"Well, yes. I do. Please, come in"

She stepped aside and opened the door for him to enter. He smiled once more and followed her inside. The interior of the house was pale blue with white furniture and dark blue carpet.  
"You have a very nice house, ma'am" Shane ventured.  
"Why, thank you" She replied.  
"There, uh, weren’t any other cars in the drive. Do you not have any other guests tonight?"  
"Just one. Well, a family, they checked in a little while ago but went out again. You may see them at breakfast tomorrow. But it can be very quite during the week, not many guests on weekdays. The cost is 40 Euros a night. Excuse me for a moment"

The woman smiled at him then disappeared into the Kitchen. He reached into his other pocket and located his mobile phone. It was switched on but he had placed it on silent. The screen read eight missed called. He shook his head and slid it back into his pocket as the old women returned.  
"You can stay in room 6" She told him. "It's at the top of the stairs"  
She held the key out to him and he took it from her.  
"My name is Sandra, by the way. May I ask yours?"  
"Uh," Shane paused. She obviously didn't recognise him or she wouldn't have asked for a name. "Daniel. Daniel Peters"  
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Peters. Could I interest you in a cup of tea?"  
"Thank you, that's very kind of you but I'm quite knackered. I really could use a rest. I've done a fair bit of driving today"  
"That's fine. Later perhaps?"  
"Possibly"  
"Then I shall leave you be"  
"Thank you"

Shane smiled at the woman once again before turning and heading back outside. He walked over to his car, opened it and retrieved his bag. He locked the car then paused to take in his surroundings. He was in the middle of nowhere. The street was lined with several other houses but he couldn't see any people. He sighed then headed back inside.

*-*-*-*-*

"I still can't get through to him" Kian stated as he hung up the phone. "It just keeps going to his voice-mail"  
"Kian, I wouldn't worry about him too much" Bryan ventured. "He's a grown man and he can take care of himself"  
"I just want to talk to him"  
"And what would you say?"  
"I don't know. I guess I'd yell at him for awhile then tell him to come home"

Kerry was standing in the doorway, nursing Molly and listening to the exchange between the two friends.  
"I don't really see that plan working, Kian" Kerry told him as she entered the room and sat down on the couch. "I doubt Shane would come back home just because you told him to"  
"But... Doesn't he know how stupid he's being?" Kian asked. "He's not going to find him"

"Kian!"  
Jade and Mark were now standing in the doorway that Kerry had vacated. Mark had his arm around Jade's waist and was looking at Kian with a hint of anger in his eyes.  
"You really shouldn't say stuff like that" Mark began. "Shane will be okay and Nicky will be found. They haven't come this far in their relationship just for it to end like this"

"But he obviously wasn't thinking" Kian reasoned. "How could he just take off like that?"  
"He said he wasn't coming back here without Nicky" Jade told him.  
"When did he say that?" Bryan asked.  
"Uh... When I saw him outside," she confessed.  
"What?" Kian asked. "You saw him?"  
"When I got here today... He was getting in the car, ready to leave"  
"And you didn't stop him?"

"Kian" Mark interrupted. "It's not her fault. You know how stubborn Shane can be. Nothing she could have said would have been enough to keep him here"  
"He wants Nicky back," Jade continued. "And I wasn't going to stand in the way of his finding him"

"Are you insane?"  
"What?"  
"He is out there, on a wild goose chase and you didn't think to stop him?"  
"Kian, calm down. He'll be okay and there's nothing we can do about it now. He'll come home when he's ready"  
"But he'll never be ready. He won't find Nicky"  
"Then what do you suggest we do?"  
"We find Shane, make him come home and get him to leave the search to the professionals"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane lie on his stomach on the bed in his rented room. His mobile phone was on the duvet beside him but he was ignoring it. Kian seemed to be calling him every thirty minutes. On the hour and the half. Each time, Shane ignored it. He had considered turning it off but he couldn't bring himself to do that. A tiny voice in his head constantly reminded him that someone might call him with news about Nicky.

Also on the bed in front of him were a map and a notebook. He held a marker pen in his hand and was planning his corse for the following day. From Dublin, he had driven south and had travelled wherever the streets had taken him.

Despite being on the open road, he knew he hadn't made any real progress but couldn't think of anything better to do. He had no idea where to be looking. The more he thought about it, the more upset and distressed he became. Every now and then, his mind would play tricks on him... Telling him to give up, telling him to go home, reminding him that Nicky might not even be in Ireland anymore.

He quickly dismissed this thought. He didn't want to believe Nicky had been taken to another country. He constantly reminded himself that if Nicky had been taken from Ireland, then someone would have seen something... Besides, there were hundreds of small, country towns throughout Ireland and he could easily be held hostage in one of them.

Shane shuddered at the thought. Hostage. He hated the sound of that word. A clap of thunder outside the window interrupted Shane's thoughts and he pulled his jacket closed around him. Something shot past the window and his heart began to race.  
"Pull yourself together," Shane scolded himself.

He slowly climbed off the bed and walked over to the window. Rain was continuing to fall at an alarming rate and he sighed. He reached out and pulled the curtain closed. He reminded himself that he was alone and that no one knew he was here. Therefore, he was completely safe.

Safe. He hated to admit it but he never felt safe anymore. When he had been kidnapped, he had just been out shopping with Mark. Shopping was a safe activity; all you really need to worry about is being mugged.  
Before he had been taken, Nicky had been safe, too. He had been inside the safety of his own home and had been taken from their bedroom.  
Was there really such a thing as 'safe'?  
His mobile phone began to vibrate and he assumed Kian was trying to contact him again. He cast his gaze at the phone and noted that it wasn't Kian calling. It was Jade. Shane picked up his phone and decided to answer it.

"Jade?" Shane asked.  
"Hi," She replied.  
"Any news?"  
"Yeah. Kian's furious at you. He's been trying to call you but he hasn't been able to get through to you"  
"You told him I left?"  
"No. He found your note"  
"Just, can you tell him that I'm okay? I just don't really feel like talking to anyone just now"  
"I don't think I should say anything. He'll just get even more mad when he finds out you ignored his calls but accepted mine"  
"I answered yours because I was hoping you weren't going to yell at me"  
"Of course I'm not going to yell at you. But, can't you just tell me where you are?"  
"No. I can't. Sorry"  
"Take care of yourself Shane"  
"I will"  
"See you soon?"  
"I hope so"  
"Goodbye Shane"  
"Bye Jade"

Shane ended the call and sighed. He had assumed Kian would be mad at him. After the brief conversation with Jade, Shane felt a little better. At least she understood and she wasn't mad. However, the lack of news about Nicky couldn't be good news. He had been missing for days and Shane was still no closer to finding him.

He dropped his phone back on the bed and picked up his knapsack. He opened it and rummaged about for a few seconds. Once he had located what he had been searching for, he removed it then dropped his bag on the ground.

He stared at the image for a few minutes, tears brimming in his eyes. He quickly brushed them aside and sighed. He wondered if Kerry had noticed that the photo was missing. He smiled at the picture of himself and Nicky before placing it on the table beside the bed.

Then he lay down on the bed, staring at the picture beside him.  
"I love you, Nicky" Shane whispered before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

The following morning, Tobey unlocked the trap door and pulled himself up into the barn. He quickly glanced around, searching for any sign of Kane but his 'partner-in-crime' was nowhere in sight. He sighed with relief then turned back to the trap door. As a security precaution, they always slid a bale of hay across the trap door in case someone happened across their 'hideout'. He moved the bale of hay and turned around.

Kane was standing behind him, brandishing a shovel.  
"Kane" Tobey greeted him, eyeing the shovel.  
"A promise is a promise"  
"I know"  
"You really should learn to keep yours," Kane smirked as he adjusted his grip on the handle. "He doesn't belong to you. I have as much right to 'play' with him as you do"  
"I know"  
"So, let me have him. Let me fuck him"  
"You stick your dick in him and I swear... I'll rip it off"

"Fuck you, Tobey!" Kane snapped. "I've put up with your shit for too long. You can't tell me what to do. Not anymore!"  
Kane swung the shovel, his anger throwing off his aim, and it connected with Tobey's shoulder. The force of Kane's assault knocked Tobey to the ground, his head hitting a wooden plank. 

Kane stared at Tobey's unconscious body and dropped the shovel. He dropped to his knees and placed his hand on Tobey's neck. He sighed when he felt the older man's pulse. If and when Tobey came too, he would be very angry. He cast his gaze over his shoulder to the trap door and smiled. With Tobey out of the way, there was nothing standing in his way. The young blonde would finally be his.

*-*-*-*-*

When Shane awoke, he felt disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. He stared at the clock beside the bed and sighed. The rain that had been falling the previous day was back with re-enforcements and Shane dreaded having to drive in it. He cast his gaze at the photograph still beside the bed and a smile formed on his lips. But the longer he stared at it, the more he knew he wouldn't get any closer to finding him if he just stayed in bed all day. He tossed back the duvet, climbed out of bed and slumped into the bathroom.

After a quick shower, he felt more alert, more awake and ready to embark on today's search. He collected his belongings and placed them back into his knapsack. Then he quickly surveyed the room, checking he had collected everything and not left anything behind. He opened the door, crossed the hall and wondered out into the yard to stow his knapsack in his car.

Once he was back inside, he headed into the Dinning room for breakfast. The table was already set for the meal. Sandra, the elderly owner, was placing a pot of tea on the table when she spotted him.  
"Good morning, Mr. Peters" she greeted him. "Did you sleep well?"  
"Yes ma'am" Shane replied in his usual polite manner.  
"Cup of Tea?"  
"Please"

Sandra placed a cup on the table and picked up the pot. She filled the cup and handed it to him. He smiled at her before taking a seat at the table. She then left the room and returned a moment later with a plate of toast.  
"Help yourself, dear"

Shane didn't feel much like eating but he knew if he didn't eat, then he would probably feel ill later. He picked up a slice of toast and slowly began to butter it. He spotted a newspaper on the edge of the table and picked it up.  
A man and women with two children, a boy and a girl, entered the room. The boy appeared to be eight or nine; the girl may have been fourteen or fifteen. He instantly hid his face behind his paper. The family sat at the table and started eating. Shane unintentionally listened in to their conversation but it wasn't very exciting.

Shane ate his meal quietly then drank his tea. He pushed the paper aside and noticed the girl was staring at him. From fear of being recognised, he quickly scampered from the room.  
"Mr Peters, is everything okay?" Sandra asked, appearing in the doorway.  
"Yes. I... I'm fine" Shane replied.  
"Are you leaving now?"  
"Yes"

He reached into his pocket and retrieved his room key. He handed the key to her then turned and left the room. He remembered that he hadn't locked the door to his room so he returned to the room for one final check. Shane opened the door and the first thing he spotted was the photograph of himself and Nicky.   
He cursed himself for leaving it behind and briefly heard Kian abusing him in his head. He couldn't believe he had been so careless. He grabbed the photo and slid it into his pocket. Then, once he was sure nothing else had been left behind, he closed the door.

He made his way through the house and out into the front yard. The sky was still grey but the rain had stopped for the time being. He walked up the front path towards his car and reached into his pocket to retrieve his keys.

"Shane?"  
He looked up as someone called his name. Leaning against the front of his car was the young girl from breakfast.  
"You are Shane from Westlife, right?" she asked him.  
"No" he lied. “I’m not”  
"Sorry," She continued. "I just thought that you looked amazingly like him. It was kind of wishful thinking"  
"I'm sorry" Shane replied.  
"No, it's my fault. I'm sorry for disturbing you"

The young girl averted her eyes then slowly began to turn away. As he stared at her retreating form, his heart instantly hardened with guilt.  
"Wait!" He called. "You're right. I am him"  
"Really?" She asked. She turned back around, her eyes lighting up.  
"Yes"  
"Can I have your autograph?"  
"Sure"

She reached into her bag, retrieved her copy of the 'World of Our Own' album and a pen then handed them to him. He smiled at her and signed his name across the picture.

"Thank you so much" she gushed as he handed the CD back to her.  
"Your welcome" he replied. He unlocked the car door and climbed in. Before he closed the door, she called out to him.  
"Hey, if I may be completely honest... As much as I love you. Nicky's still my favourite”

He smiled at her then closed the car door. As he put his seatbelt on, he smirked.  
"Mine too" he added.

*-*-*-*-*

Kane couldn't believe his luck. With Tobey out of the way, there was nothing else stopping him from claiming the blonde for him self. He ambled across the room and opened the trap door. He lowered himself down through the trap door and dropped to the cement floor. The blonde was still chained to the far wall. He appeared to be asleep or unconscious. He was uncertain of what Tobey had subjected him to during the past few hours. Given the amount of slack in the chain, Nicky was lying on the floor with his arms tucked up supporting his head. Seeing him tied up like that tugged at Kane's heart... Thus assuming he has one.

He silently crossed the room and crouched on his knees beside the sleeping blonde. Kane paused, momentarily transfixed by Nicky's beauty. He couldn't blame Shane for falling for him. The young singer truly was one of a kind. Although right now he wasn't in the best shape. His chest, face and arms were showing signs of bruising. Most of which Kane knew he was responsible for. He reached out and gently stroked Nicky's bloodstained cheek. It took all of his willpower to stop himself from grabbing Nicky and fucking him on the spot.

Kane's touch caused Nicky to awake with a start. He opened his eyes and found himself staring directly into Kane's menacing pupils. He instinctively flinched and attempted to pull away, but to no avail. The chain was still firmly attached to the wall. Kane smiled down at the blonde but his smile quickly changed to a smirk. Nicky instantly closed his eyes, desperately wanting to go back to sleep and to return to his dream. In his dream he had been safe. He had been with Shane; he had been happy. First he had been taken away from the 'real' Shane and now he was being kept away from 'dream' Shane.

But now, with his eyes closed, he could now focus on the various parts of his body that were aching. In particular, his head. He had lost count of the amount of beatings he had been subjected to and feared to think of how many were still to come. He felt Kane's clammy hand on his cheek and flinched. However, Kane remained unaffected by the blonde's actions.

"Open your eyes!" Kane hissed.

Nicky didn't want to obey him but he knew he didn't have much of a choice. He felt Kane remove his hand and dared to open his eyes. His eyes focused in time to see Kane raise his fist. The young singer instinctively ducked. Kane's fist missed its target and hit the wall, where Nicky's head should have been. He cursed loudly and retaliated swiftly by throwing his weight into a powerful kick.

The young singer couldn't suppress a painful scream. He knew the worst was still to come but he wondered how much worse it could get. There was no doubt in his mind that at least one of his ribs was cracked. He silently prayed the intense pain would be enough to make him to pass out.

"Come on," Kane hissed. "I'm just getting started"

A single tear slipped through Nicky's lashes and down his cheek. He was too scared to hold the rest back. He closed his eyes and silently prayed this attack would be over quickly.


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

Shane felt as he'd been driving for hours. In actual fact, he wasn't too sure how long he'd been on the road for. Suddenly a large black van swerved in front of him. He slammed on the brakes and tried to control his car. The driver of the van also hit the brakes and pulled over. Shane pulled his BMW to the side of the road and turned the key. He tried to control his anger as he glared at the van.  
The large, black van. The large, familiar, black van.

Shane unbuckled his seat belt and climbed out of the car. He rushed over to the van and pulled the drivers door open. A young woman with flaming red hair was behind the wheel. She leapt out of the car.  
"I'm so sorry!" She said. "I... I dropped my map and took my eyes off the road for a second to pick it up. I didn't see you. Are you okay?"  
"Is that your van?" He asked, completely ignoring her ramblings.  
"Yes... Well, No" She replied. "I mean, it's a company car. I drive it for work"  
"What kind of work?"  
"Delivery service"

Shane paused for a moment, absorbing this new information.  
"Do other people from your company drive black vans?" he asked her.  
"No, we only have the one but I usually get to take it"  
"Have you seen any other vans around lately?"  
"Why do you ask?"

Shane bit his lip. He had to think fast.  
"My brother," he blurted. "He left home. My mother's real worried about him and I'm trying to find him. He drives a van just like yours"  
"What's the license plate number?"  
"I... I don't know"  
"You don't know the numbers on your own brother's license plate?"  
"He... He only bought it a few weeks ago... Look, have you seen it or not?"  
"Uh, yes" she admitted. "I saw one yesterday just north of Bandon. It was parked outside a large farm house. There was a barn on the property and it was near a large patch of trees"   
"How do you remember all that?"  
"It's not that often you see a black van. They're not that common here"  
"I guess not"

"Well, I have to go" she spoke up. "Good luck finding your brother"  
"Thanks" Shane replied. "And thank you for your help"  
Shane turned on his heel and ran back to his car. He jumped into the driver’s seat and pulled the door closed. He located a map and chose the quickest way to get to where he wanted to go. After doing up his seat belt, he turned the key in the ignition and drove off.

\-----------------

Tobey opened his eyes and was surprised to find him self lying on the floor of the barn. His head was pounding as he tried to pull himself into a sitting position. Once he was up, he was able to recall what had been done to him. His eyes wandered around the bales of hay, looking for some kind of weapon. All he found was the shovel Kane had used to knock him out. He moved closer for a better look and found himself smirking. The handle had snapped completely in half.

He instantly knew how luck he had been. A blow like that should have been enough to kill him or at least cause some serious brain damage. It should have left him in a coma.  
Instead, he was perfectly fine. Just a minor headache. He couldn't help but laugh. However, once he had started laughing he found it difficult to stop. Tobey gently climbed over the top of one of the bales of hay and spotted the open trap-door.

Kane must have believed the blow had killed him. Otherwise, he would have known to close to door. A noise from below caught his attention and, suddenly, Tobey could see red. Kane was down there with Nicky!  
"He's mine!" Tobey hissed.  
As quickly and quietly as he could, Tobey sneaked over to the trap-door. Kane had gone too far and now it was time for him to pay.

*-*-*-*-*

Kane drew a deep breath of his cigarette and continued to survey the blonde singer. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and blew the smoke into Nicky's face. The younger boy tried to suppress a cough but couldn't.  
Kane smirked and placed the cigarette back in his mouth. He leaned closer to the bound boy and placed his hand on the blonde's chest. Nicky flinched at his touch and bit down on his lip.

Kane retracted his hand and removed the burning object from his mouth. He then placed his other hand on Nicky's chin. His hold was firm as he captured Nicky's lips with his own. The young blonde closed his eyes in fear and disgust. Not knowing what was to become of this assault. As usual, Kane's breath reeked of smoke and Nicky fought back the urge to retch.

Kane's tongue forced its way into the young singer's mouth causing Nicky to pull at his bonds. Kane retracted his hand and slapped the younger boy's cheek. He then tossed his cigarette aside and stood up. He reached out, gripped Nicky's hair and pulled him to his feet. He pushed his forcefully against the wall and instantly reached for the zip on his jeans.

Nicky bit down on his lip and kicked at Kane's shin. The older boy made a noise between a yelp and a groan. He raised his fist and swiftly punched the blonde twice. Across the face and in the stomach. He loosened his grip on Nicky, allowing the younger boy to fall to the ground in pain. As Nicky landed on the hard floor, he winced but told himself not to make a sound.

For a brief moment he wondered what had happened to Tobey. The older of his attackers may have been more terrifying and cunning than Kane but he had always tried to keep Kane away from Nicky. The blonde knew had Tobey known what Kane was up to, he would have stopped it by now. Kane dropped to his knees in front of Nicky and stared at him. From lack of anywhere else to look, Nicky couldn't help but stare back. The older boy's eyes were filled with a fire that sent cold shivers down Nicky's spine.

The older boy reached out and gripped a fist-full of Nicky's blood-stained hair. He leaned closer and ran his tongue along the blonde's cheek. The younger boy was trembling and recoiled against his touch. Kane sneered at his prey before trailing his hands down Nicky's chest to the waistband of his jeans.   
He dug his fingernails into Nicky's flesh as he hastily removed the constricting material. The young blonde closed his eyes and pulled against his 'cuffs.

Nicky could feel Kane's eyes upon his body. He had never felt so dirty, so humiliated, so exposed in his life. He felt Kane's hand on his chest and bit his lip to hold back a gasp of disgust. Kane's hands were rough and foreign...   
Unlike Shane, whose hands were gentle, loving and tender. The young blonde feared opening his eyes. He didn't want to know what was coming. He didn't want to know what Kane was going to do to him.

From this position and due to having his eyes closed, he didn't see the older boy reach into his jacket pocket and retrieve a packet of non-safety matches. Kane opened the packaging and removed a single match. He slowly struck the match against the packaging, lighting the match head. Kane continued to sneer at the young blonde.  
"Open your eyes!" He hissed.

The younger of the two men refused to obey the command, keeping his eyes firmly closed. Kane smirked and tossed the match onto Nicky's exposed chest. The blonde gasped as the flames met with his flesh and he opened his eyes. Kane was looming above him, clutching a packet of matches. A second lit match was already in his hand. Nicky's skin was tingling where the match had scolded the sensitive flesh. The second match landed beside the first, Nicky clenched his fists and bit his lip to hold back a scream.   
"Tell me you love me," Kane ordered him. Nicky remained silent.

Kane gripped Nicky's blonde hair and pulled him into a sitting position. Once up, the older boy removed his hand and punched the young boy's already bloodied and bruised face. Nicky fell back and lay motionless on the floor. He knew he was giving up too easily but he couldn't muster the strength to fight back. He had been beaten and abused many times over the past few hours... days... weeks... How long had he been here? He had already lost track of time and was weak from lack of food and sleep.

The older boy stared at the young blonde and smirked. He unhooked the chain from the wall, allowing Nicky's arms to fall limply to the floor beside him. He rolled Nicky onto his back and examined him closely. His arms and chest were badly bruised and covered with scratches and blood. Kane slid onto the floor beside the blonde, leaned over him and kissed his forehead.

*-*

Tobey quietly peered down through the trap-door. Upon seeing Kane's back facing him, Tobey took this opportunity to slide down the ladder. Thankful that his arrival had gone unnoticed, he watched as Kane loomed over his prey.

Nicky was trembling and obviously terrified of his attacker. It appeared that he no longer fought back. Thus making it easier for Kane. The anger and hatred building up inside Tobey was becoming too much. He watched as Kane leaned down and kissed the blonde on the forehead. Tobey clenched his fist and glared at his accomplice.

Kane was about to forcefully take Nicky. And Tobey had to stop him... No matter what the cost.


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

Kane placed his hand on Nicky's cheek and brushed his hair out of his face. Nicky opened his eyes and was terrified to discover Kane still looming over him. Kane's pants were around his ankles and he was ready. Any second now, Nicky would be violated. His attacker closed his hand around Nicky's throat as he slammed his cock inside the younger boy. The blonde clenched his teeth to stop himself from screaming. He could feel Kane's breathe on his skin and he continued to shudder in fear.

"Open your eyes!" Kane hissed.

Nicky was too weak to argue but he couldn't bring himself to look at Kane. Inside he was screaming. He tried desperately not to think about what was happening to him. He forced his mind to focus on something, anything other than what was happening. He wondered where Shane was and what he was doing. He wondered if his parents had been told he was missing. He wondered if Shane knew this was being done to him.

As Kane thrust hard inside the singer, he leaned closer letting Nicky feel his breath on his exposed skin. As the blonde continued to tremble in fear, Kane laughed and dug his fingernails into Nicky's flesh.

*-*-*-*-*

Tobey quietly reached out, his hand searching the objects on the table. His hand closed over the handle of his gun and he smirked. He picked the weapon up and bought it closer. Being careful not to reveal his presence to Kane, he opened the gun and made sure it was loaded. He watched in anger as his accomplice proceeded to do the one thing he, himself, had not yet done. He could no longer contain his jealousy. It was time to make his presence known.

"Kane!"

*-*-*-*-*

The sound of Tobey's voice filled the room. Nicky slowly opened his eyes. With Kane still inside him, the sight of Tobey looming above with a gun in his hand didn't fill Nicky with much relief.  
"You don't fucking touch him!" Tobey hissed.  
"He's mine!" Kane responded.

Tobey reached out, grabbed a fistful of Kane's hair and pushed his gun against Kane's temple. Nicky saw a flicker of fear pass through Kane's eyes.  
"You wouldn't," Kane insisted. "You couldn't"  
"I would," Tobey replied. "I could. As a matter of fact, I think I will"

Kane didn't hesitate. He raised his arm and elbowed Tobey in the stomach. The older boy stumbled and struggled to remain on his feet. Once he stood up, his eyes focused on Kane's assault on Nicky. Kane thrust deep inside the young singer. He crushed his lips against the blonde's, forcing his tongue inside Nicky's mouth.

Tobey approached once more, gripping Kane by the hair. Kane released Nicky again and turned his attention to Tobey. He lashed out, punched Tobey's stomach and sent him stumbling back several steps. Kane then looked down at the blonde beneath him and grinned. He leaned across Nicky and stared into his eyes.

Tobey regained his composure and turned back to Kane. The younger man was thrusting inside Nicky, leaning over and kissing him. Tobey crossed the room, grabbed Kane around the neck, pressed the gun back into his temple and pulled the trigger.

*-*-*-*-*

The trees were all beginning to meld together. Shane stifled a yawn and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Then he saw it. Just left of the highway, maybe five hundred yards away. A large one storey house and barn were set amongst a series of trees. Parked the other side of the barn, just behind several shrubs was a large black van.

Shane's eyes locked and focused on the vehicle. He desperately prayed it was the same one he had seen leaving his house. He gently eased his foot on the brake and pulled his car off the highway. He cautiously approached the trees, wanting to keep out of sight. He switched the engine off, pocketed the keys and removed his seatbelt before taking a moment to observe these new surroundings. The main road continued for several more miles in both directions. The house and barn both appeared deserted. With a sinking heart, Shane realized his Nicky wasn't there.

Tobey and Kane weren't stupid. Shane knew this much because of how much they had already managed to get away with. They had avoided capture by the police for the past eight months, had managed to leave several packages outside their house for them and had even managed to get inside the house and steal Nicky away while Shane and Kian had been there.

The brunette's eyes began to fill with tears at the memory of Nicky's abduction. He steadily managed to compose himself before climbing out of the car. He gently pushed the door closed and carefully approached the van. The windows were tinted so he couldn't tell if there was anyone inside it. Against his better judgment, he sneaked up to the parked vehicle and peered through the dark window. 

The van appeared empty. He moved around behind it, grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. The van was empty. Shane's heart sank and his eyes instantly filled with tears. He had come so close but still hadn't found his love. As he began to close the door, something caught his eye. He stopped and moved closer for a better look. He glanced around, saw no one about and climbed into the back of the van. He sat down on the floor and picked up the object. His heart began to pound and his eyes continued to sting when a new round of tears threatened to fall.

In his hand, Shane was now holding Nicky's wallet. It had fallen open, revealing Nicky's ID and driver's license. Shane closed the wallet and slipped it into his jacket pocket. This new discovery filled his heart and mind with a range of conflicting emotions. If his wallet was here, did that mean Nicky was nearby?

A tiny voice inside him asked if he really wanted to know the answer. Maybe Nicky *was* nearby... But what condition would he be in? Was he even alive?

"Of course he is!" Shane scolded himself. "He's alive and needs you to find him!"

*-*-*-*-*

Nicky sat quietly in the corner, his hands still cuffed together. The chain was back against the wall to stop him from moving. He had managed to re-dress himself with no objection from Tobey. The older man hadn't spoken a word since shooting Kane half an hour earlier. He had simply dragged the body aside and left it in the corner. Then he had started pacing back and forth around the small, dark room.

The blonde singer sat up and leaned against the wall. He hadn't been able to stop trembling since Kane had started his assault. He rested his head against the wall and aimlessly twirled the chain around his fingers. He knew he should feel relieved. Kane was dead. One of the two men he had been terrified of, for the past two years, was now dead. He tried to feel relieved but he simply couldn't. Kane had been inside him, he had been staring directly into Kane's eyes when he had been killed.

"Did he hurt you?" Tobey finally asked him.

Nicky didn't respond. He now realized Tobey had never intended on killing Kane. This disturbed the singer. The two men had obviously not intended to kill him either. Tobey had killed Kane without a second thought, would he now not hesitate to kill Nicky?

"Why did you do it?" Nicky heard himself ask.  
"He was hurting you" Tobey replied.

Tobey stopped pacing and approached the younger boy. He crouched on the floor in front of the blonde, maintaining eye-contact.  
"But you're not his" he continued. "He had no right to touch you." Tobey reached out and gently stroked Nicky's bruised cheek. "You're mine now. You've always been mine"  
"I love Shane" Nicky whispered.  
"Don't you understand this?" Tobey asked, standing up and pacing once again. "Shane doesn't matter anymore. You're never going to see him again. From now on... It's just you and me. Forever"  
"I'd rather die than let anyone but Shane touch me"

Tobey stopped pacing and turned to grin at the young singer.  
"Die?" Tobey hissed. "Die. Yes, die"  
Nicky watched in fear as Tobey's grin became a smile. Then a mischievously cruel laugh.


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

The unmistakable sound of footsteps caught his attention. The sound quickly grew louder as whatever was causing them drew closer. Shane held his breath and crouched down behind the driver's seat. Any second now, someone would open one of the doors and discover him. He quickly weighed his options. He could stay where he was and risk being found. Or he could try to make a run for it. Neither option really appealed to him. If Nicky was nearby, Shane knew he would be of more help to him if he was able to keep out of sight.

The footsteps began to fade. Once he was certain the footsteps had stopped, he counted to thirty (just in case) then dared to peer out through one of the tinted windows. The 'coast was clear'. There were no cars on the main road and not a single person in sight. With a sigh of relief, he reached up and opened the door. He climbed out the van, pulling the door closed behind him.

Shane crossed the grass and approached the large house. He tried to open the door but it was locked. He then attempted to force entry through one of the side windows but to no avail. He peered through the closed window but couldn't see or hear anything or anyone. He turned away from the deserted house but wasn't ready to admit defeat. Something was calling him to the barn. The old, abandoned barn appeared more run-down then the house but he had to go inside. He had to know. With one final glance at the white, one storey house he headed for the barn. As he drew nearer, he noticed the main door was open... Maybe ten inches, but still open.

Shane approached cautiously. He reached out and pulled the door open further. He ducked inside and pushed the door closed behind him. The large barn was fairly well-lit. Large windows allowed the dim sunlight to filter inside and a light the many bales of hay which lined the floor and walls.

The large room was void of people. Before he could express any signs of disappointment, a rustling noise startled him. He leapt behind a large bale of hay and discovered the cause of the noise. A large, grey rat. He wasn't a big fan of rats but found himself filled with relief.

"Don't go anywhere, Angel"

Shane held his breath. He knew that voice! It belonged to one of the devil's that had taken Nicky from him... In particular, the maniac from the phone. From his hiding place, he could now see a man appear from under the floor. A hidden trap-door perhaps? Shane wondered. The new arrival wasn't empty handed. He was clutching a gun in one hand and a flask marked 'Kerosene' on the other. He watched with baited breath as the figure began to slosh kerosene over each bale of hay.

Shane cursed himself as a fresh round of questions filled his mind. What was he planning to do? Was this crazy person Tobey... Or Kane? Were they working alone or had they followed Christian's operation and hired others to help him?

He chose to believe this was Tobey. He had heard him say 'Angel'. The same thing he had heard him call Nicky over the phone. Tobey had been taller and older while Kane had been small with a husky voice. Shane observed him in silence as Tobey emptied the bottle on the bales of hay. The older man tossed the empty flask aside and began to search his pockets.

"Lighter... Lighter..." Tobey muttered, searching his empty pockets.

Shane focused his attention on Tobey's hands. His left hand was clutching his gun so tight, his knuckles were turning white. His eyes locked on Tobey's empty hand. Forced onto his index finger was Nicky's engagement ring. Shane felt the anger inside him rising. How dare he steal Nicky's ring! He instantly promised himself he would get it back. Tobey located his lighter and flicked it open. It was in working order.

The brunette watched as Tobey dropped back down the trap-door. Shane quietly sneaked over to the opening and peered down. It was too dark to see anything so he leaned closer, straining to hear even the faintest noise. He could still hear Tobey muttering away to himself. Then, Shane's entire world was filled with hope. He head Nicky's trembling voice.

"Please don't do this" Shane heard Nicky say.

The brunette backed away from the trapdoor and quietly sneaked out of the barn. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Officer Readen's number. When Jim answered the phone, Shane quickly told him the good news, where he was and to get there as soon as he could. Officer Readen ordered Shane to wait for him to arrive and to stay hidden. Shane ended the call and re-entered the barn. He walked over to the trap-door and sat down beside it. He prayed the Garder would arrive quickly and that when he is finally reunited with Nicky, that his love would be okay.

*-*-*-*-*

"Its okay, my Angel" Tobey stated. "It'll all be over soon"  
"Please don't do this" Nicky pleaded. "I love Shane so much"  
"No!" Tobey hissed. "You don't. You love me. You're going to be with me!"  
"Never! You're not Shane. You will never be Shane and I will never love you"

Tobey knelt beside the blonde and stared into his eyes. Nicky stared straight back. Tobey raised his hand and back-handed the young blonde.  
"You will always be mine" Tobey insisted.  
"I'd rather die than be yours" Nicky spat.

"And you will" Tobey replied. "We both will"  
"What?" Nicky asked.  
"Now we can be together, forever"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane could hear movement coming from below and had to execute all of his will-power to stop himself climbing down the ladder and freeing his lover. He sensed movement and he quickly moved from the trap-door. He saw Tobey and held his breath. He watched as Tobey reached into his pocket and retrieved his lighter. He then picked up a cloth and set it alight. He tossed the cloth onto one of the bales of hay. It ignited instantly. He lit another and tossed it down the trap-door. He then turned and headed for the door.

Shane reacted instantly. He leaped forward and knocked Tobey to the ground. The older man fell to the ground and rolled over in shock. His gaze locked onto Shane and his eyes narrowed.  
"You couldn't let me have him, could you?" Tobey snapped.

Shane glared at Tobey before striking him down once again. The two men climbed to their feet and Tobey lunged at the brunette. He pinned Shane to the ground, wrapped his hand around the brunette's neck and glared at him.

"You could never be the man he deserves" Tobey hissed, tightening his grip.  
"And you will never be the man he loves" Shane replied.

Tobey raised his hand to punch the brunette. Then Shane spotted it. Nicky's engagement ring was forced onto Tobey's left hand. Shane clenched his fist, preparing to strike. Tobey caught Shane's hand, stopping his attack.

"My only regret is that you'll never see me taking him" Tobey snarled.  
"And mine is that I haven't killed you yet" Shane snapped.  
"If I had more time, I'd let you watch us right now"  
"If you even think of touching him..."

Shane mustered all his strength and threw his weight into Tobey. The older man was thrown off-guard, giving Shane the upper hand. He managed to pin Tobey face-down against the ground and forced his knee into his back. He then pried Nicky's ring from Tobey's finger and slid it into his pocket.

"I should break your neck" Shane hissed.  
"Why don't you?" Tobey asked.  
"I want to see you suffer. Death would be going too easy on you"  
"I knew you weren't the man he deserved. You can't even kill the man who haunts your lover’s dreams"  
"As I said, death isn't punishment enough for you"

A noise caught both their attention. Shane looked up and froze in shock. The entire barn had been engulfed in flames... With Nicky still inside.


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

Tobey decided to take advantage of the situation. Shane was frozen on the spot. He couldn't allow Tobey to escape but Nicky was trapped inside the barn. Tobey threw his weight against Shane and tossed the young brunette aside. He climbed to his feet and turned to run.  
"Hold it right there!" A voiced shouted.  
Shane turned around to see the Garder had arrived. Four Officers were pointing their guns at Tobey. Shane turned his attention back to the burning barn. He leapt to his feet and ran to the door. Two Officers raced forward and grabbed him.  
"Don't be stupid" Officer Rothman insisted. "Wait for the Fire Marshall"  
"NICKY!" Shane shouted.

He wouldn't wait any longer. He couldn't wait any longer. Shane managed to break free from Officer Rothman and made a beeline for the door. He ran into the barn and instantly struggled to breath. He strained to see through the flames and smoke. Shane made his way through the barn and dropped down through the trap-door. He dropped to the ground and frantically looked around.  
"Nicky?" Shane called. "Nicky, where are you?"

Something in the corner of the room caught his eye. He turned around and found Nicky. The blonde was lying on the ground. Shane ran over to him and placed his hand on his neck, he couldn't feel a pulse! Shane pulled Nicky to his feet and started to carry him over to the ladder. The couple fell to the ground and Shane spotted the chain attached to the wall.

Shane's heart sank. How would he ever get Nicky out of there? He looked around the room, desperately searching for something he could use to break the chain. He located a brick, picked it up and started hacking at the chain. Smoke was quickly filling the small room. Shane lost his grip on the brick as he inhaled a mouthful of smoke. He fell to his knees and gently brushed his fingers across Nicky's cheek. He leaned down to kiss the blonde's lips when something else caught his eye.

The flames from the other end of the room had almost reached the ceiling. Something on the ground was reflecting the light of the flames. It was a key. Shane grabbed it and slid the key into the lock on Nicky's handcuffs. It worked. Shane quickly unlocked the other cuff and pulled Nicky to his feet.  
"Come on, Nix" Shane whispered. "I'll have you out of here in no time"

*-*-*-*-*

The Garder officers watched in shock as the young brunette disappeared inside the burning barn. Officer Rothman started counting the seconds he had been gone for. He couldn't wait any longer. He raced into the bar, hoping to find the brunette still alive. He struggled to see through the smoke as he searched for the brunette.  
"Hello?" Officer Rothman shouted. "Where are you?"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane heard a voice from above and sighed with relief.  
"Down here!" Shane called.

Seconds later, the officer who had tried to stop him from running into the barn, appeared at the top of the trap-door.  
"Give me a hand" Shane called.

*-*-*-*-*

The remaining officers continued to stare at the flames. A siren was sounding in the distance and was getting louder by the second. The Fire Marshall and an Ambulance had finally arrived. The officers watched in silence as the fire truck was unloaded and workers began to surround the barn.

The barn doors opened and Officer Rothman appeared. He was accompanied by the brunette who had raced into the barn and together they were carrying an unconscious blonde. Two ambulance workers raced over to them and started to attend to them.

Shane cast his gaze around and his eyes met with Tobey's. He smirked to himself as the Garda manhandled him into the back of one of their patrol cars. He then turned his attention back to Nicky. The Doctor had already placed him on a gurney and was leading him over to the Ambulance.  
"Oh God" Shane pleaded. "Nicky, please be okay"

*-*-*-*-*

Upon hearing the news that Nicky had been found, Kian shepherded his friends into the car and sped off to the hospital. Bryan dropped Kian off at the main entrance then proceeded to park the car. Kian paused at one of the Nurse’s stations long enough to ask for directions before speeding down another hall. He rounded a corner and came to a sudden stop. Shane was standing in the middle of the hall, deeply engrossed in a conversation (or argument) with a male doctor.

"But it’s been hours," he heard Shane say. "How can you still not know anything?"  
"We are doing our best, Mr. Filan" the doctor replied. "But Mr. Byrne still hasn’t regained consciousness. He doesn’t appear to be in any immediate danger-"  
"When can I see him?"  
"Not for some time. I’m afraid Hospital policy states only family are permitted-"  
"But I-"

"Shane?" Kian spoke up. Both Shane and the doctor turned around.  
Upon seeing his best friend, Shane feigned a smile.  
"Ki!" Shane exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"  
Kian walked along the hall and hugged him. The doctor used this distraction to his advantage and sneaked away.

"How could I not come?" Kian asked. "We would have been here sooner but-"  
"We?"  
"Bryan and Kerry. And Mark and Jade. Bobby stayed in Dublin with Molly"  
"They won’t let me see him, Ki" Shane admitted, allowing tears to form in his eyes. "They… They said only family…" he trailed off.  
"Have you called his parents?" Kian enquired.  
"No. I… I know I should but what would I say to them? I didn’t even tell them he was missing. I didn’t want to worry them"  
"How long does he have to stay here?"  
"They don’t know. He’s not even awake yet. They want to wait until they know he’s okay then they might move him to a Hospital in Dublin"  
"What happened to him? Why isn’t he awake?"  
"He was raped, Ki. How could someone do something like that? Especially to him"  
"Someone did it to you"

Shane mutely nodded and fell into Kian’s arms. The younger boy held him close. Kian could feel the brunette’s sobs causing his body to tremble. He held back a sigh. It didn’t feel like that long ago they had all been in the hospital awaiting news of Shane’s condition.  
"I’m so sorry, Shane" Kian whispered.   
"It’s not your fault" Shane replied. "If anything, it’s mine"  
"Shane, No. Don’t do this to yourself"  
"Why not? It’s true!"  
"No, it’s not. And you know it!"

Shane moved away from his friend and collapsed in a nearby chair. Kian watched him for a few moments before approaching then settling down beside him.  
"What happened to the lads that did this?" Kian decided to ask.  
"Kane’s dead" Shane said. "They think Tobey did it. But we won’t know for sure until Nicky wakes up"  
"And Tobey?"  
"He's in custody. They caught him… And I got to hit him"  
"You did what?"  
"He was wearing Nicky’s ring and I had to get it back"

"Shane! Kian!"  
The two men looked up and were greeted with the sight of their friends’ faces. They stood up as the other’s approached. Bryan was the first to reach them and he immediately pulled Shane into a big bear hug. He held him tight for several seconds before giving him a gentle pat on the back. Kerry and Jade both gave him a reassuring hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek. Mark took the same option as Bryan sans the pat on the back.

As Shane greeted each of his friends, his mind was racing. He continually pleaded with god that Nicky would be okay. After the heartfelt reunion was over, the entire group fell silent. No one could think of anything to say.  
The brunette turned his back on his friends and walked away, down the hall and paused outside one of the closed doors. He settled himself down in one of the chairs then leaned forward. He placed elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. Now that he wasn’t alone he could finally let it all out.

His tears immediately filled his eyes and were spilling down his cheeks before he could stop them. Since he had arrived in the ambulance with Nicky, he had been afraid to cry. He didn’t want to show his feelings for the older boy in public. Now his friends were with him and could worry with him. In mere seconds, Kian was by his side. He wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly.  
"Its okay, Shay" Kian reassured him. "It’s over now. Everything’s going to be okay"

Shane completely surrendered to his tears and lost himself in his grief. He wanted to believe it was over. He wanted to believe Kian’s words but he couldn’t. All he wanted now was to see Nicky. He hadn’t seen his fiancé since arriving at the hospital. He had watched the paramedics wheel the stretcher out of the ambulance and had followed them inside. Then a young nurse had stopped him.  
"I have to go with him," Shane had told her.  
"I’m sorry, you can’t" She replied. "But the doctor will be with you shortly"  
He hadn’t seen her again and the doctor had only appeared moments before Kian. He still didn’t know if Nicky was okay. He wasn't going to relax until he knew Nicky was okay.


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven

Several more hours passed but to Shane they could have been days. Time had been passing out of the ordinary since Nicky had been taken from him. He had hoped Nicky being found would return time to normal but so far, it hadn’t been the case. 

Finally, a doctor appeared. The others were anxious to learn of Nicky’s condition but they held back, allowing Shane the right to enquire about Nicky’s health.  
"Mr. Byrne has been moved to a private room on the third floor" he told them. "His physical condition stands with no broken bones. He does, however, have three cracked ribs. He has several minor cuts and a large amount of external bruises. His chest and arms show signs of burns, possibly the result of matches or a lighter being exposed to the flesh for some time. All of these should clear over the next few weeks"  
"And the bad news?" Shane was afraid to ask but he could hear it in the doctor’s voice.  
"He has been assaulted, sexually. Several times. Most likely, by more than one person. We have of course tested for HIV, AIDS and other STD’s but these results won’t be available for several days. It is recommended that he speak to a Psychologist because, quite frankly, I’m more concerned about the psychological damage caused by a trauma like this…"

"Despite what you may think," Shane began. "We are quite aware of the psychological damage. You might think that I don’t or can’t understand but you’re wrong. I’ve been there, okay? And I do know what he’s going through. And the one thing that helped me through it… Was seeing him. I know that he needs me right now"  
"I am sorry. But we haven’t given clearance for visitation. And at this stage, if we did… Only immediate family is permitted"

"Now you listen to me," Shane began through gritted teeth. "I don’t give a fuck what you say. I am fam-"  
"Familiar with hospital policy" Kian interrupted. Shane paused, glaring at his friend. "Please forgive my friend here"  
Kian swooped down the hall and pulled the doctor aside, out of hearing range of Shane.

"Shane doesn’t usually loose his temper so easily. It’s just that he and Nicky are very close. Nicky’s family is on vacation in France at the moment. I don’t want to be responsible for ruining their holiday if there is nothing urgently wrong with him. Could you possibly see it in your heart to allow Shane to visit him in place of his family?"  
"Mr. Egan," The doctor replied. "Just because you and your friends are celebrities, it does not make you an exception to the rules. Hospital policy is strict for good reason"  
"And as a doctor, you have no right to abuse your power. In your position, you know Nicky’s condition and if the press get word of it… I’ll know who tipped them off"  
"Are you threatening me?"  
"No. I am merely asking you to allow a dear friend of mine to visit a dear friend of his"  
"Well, I am not making any promises… But I’ll see what I can do"  
"Thank you"

The Doctor turned on his heel and disappeared down the hall. Kian then returned to Shane’s side.  
"I… I didn’t mean to yell" Shane confessed. "I just… I have to see him. I need to see him"  
"I know" Kian replied. "And you will see him. You will. I just… I’m sorry, I just don’t know when"  
"I’m sorry too. Because that’s just not good enough"

Shane fell silent and once again pulled away from his friends. Kian started to go after him but Mark stopped him.  
"Leave him, Ki" Mark told him.  
"But…" Kian began.  
"Just give him a few minutes"  
Kian reluctantly gave in and turned back to the others. Bryan glanced at his watch. They had been waiting for hours. He took Kian aside and lowered his voice.  
"I really should take Kerry home. As you know, we left Molly with Bobby. Jade and Mark can stay with you"  
"No. We don’t all need to be here. Can you catch a lift with Mark and Jade so I can keep my car here?"  
"Sure. And do us all a favor. Make sure you get Shane to-"  
"Eat something" They said in unison.

*-*-*-*-*

Dr Handlin excused himself from Nicky’s room and made his way down the hall to the waiting room. He quietly opened the door and went inside. He paused then closed the door, allowing the three of them to talk privately. Shane and Kian were on their feet in seconds. Shane’s eyes were blood-shot, his cheeks stained with tears. The Doctor felt a great amount of pain at the mere thought of breaking this news to the two young lads. 

"Firstly, allow me to apologize for making you both wait for so long" he began. "We were reluctant to tell you anything until we actually knew something"  
"When can I see him?" Shane asked.  
"In a few minutes. I am told that you have already been informed of Mr. Byrne’s physical injuries"  
"The assault, the scars and the bruises" Kian stated.  
"Well, I’m afraid it’s more serious than that"

Shane closed his eyes. What little color remaining on his face now completely gone. He tightened his grip on Nicky’s engagement ring, which he had not let out of his hand or sight since arriving at the hospital.  
"What day is it?" The doctor asked.  
Shane opened his eyes and frowned. Kian paused, also confused by the doctors question, but he chose to answer.  
"Friday" Kian said, glancing at Shane.  
"Mr. Byrne has developed a case of selective amnesia. This has been known to happen to people who have suffered a severe trauma"  
"What exactly does that mean?" Kian asked.  
"He doesn’t know what today is. He doesn’t remember anything that happened within the past week… But he did mention a dog he needed to pick up in a few days"  
"Freddy" Shane whispered.  
"He knows who he is and who you are. He just doesn’t recall anything from the last week. He remembers an interview for CD:UK and then waking up here an hour ago"

"He’s been awake for an hour?" Shane asked. "Why didn’t someone tell me?"  
"If it’s any consolation, the first thing he wanted to know was where you were. I told him you would be in to see him soon"  
"What else did you tell him?"  
"Nothing yet"  
"So he doesn’t even know what he’s doing here?"  
"We told him there was a fire… I thought it might be best if perhaps you would rather be the one to tell him what happened. Coming from you might make it a little easier for him"  
"Thank you, doctor" Kian replied, ending the conversation.

Dr Handlin told them he would be back in a few minutes to take them to see Nicky. Then he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Shane collapsed in the nearest chair. Shock still displayed on his face.

"He doesn’t remember" Shane sobbed. "He has no idea what has been done to him and they [the doctors] want me to be the one to tell him? I can’t do that! I don’t want to be responsible for making this any worse"  
"Shane, not telling him could make it unbearable"  
"You don’t know that. He’s better off not knowing"  
"You don’t know that either"  
"How can I do this to him?"  
"You don’t really have a choice. Unless you want the doctors to tell him"  
"No. I don’t want him to hear this from a stranger. But I don’t think I can break it to him either"  
"So, what are you going to do?"  
"I don’t know. I can’t lie to him… But I have to. He’s better off not knowing"  
"You’re not a doctor, you can’t make that decision"

They both fell silent, staring blankly at each other. Both refusing to see the others point of view. Suddenly, Shane gasped, his eyes wide open with fear. Tears instantly filled his deep, brown orbs.  
"Oh God! Ki!" Shane exclaimed. "He doesn't remember. His parents... Dinner..."  
"Shane. Calm down" Kian pulled his friend into a hug and tried to calm him down.  
"He doesn't remember telling his parents. He's forgotten our anniversary. And, and our first time together..."  
"Shane..." Kian began.  
"Kian, he doesn't know we're engaged. He's forgotten everything!"


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight

Shane took a deep breath and stared intently in to Kian's eyes. The shock and reality of the situation finally getting to the older boy.  
"I should have killed Tobey, Ki. I had my chance"  
"Hey, killing him wouldn't have stopped Nicky loosing his memory"  
"I know but... I can't tell him. I can't give him back his ring. It could make everything so much worse"  
"It could trigger his memory. It might help him to remember what was done to him"  
"Exactly, and I don't want him to remember"  
"Shane!"

The door opened and Dr. Handlin appeared.  
"Shane?" He began. "You may see Nicky now"  
The brunette dried his tears on his sleeve and cast a quick glance at Kian. The younger boy still looked put out but he didn't speak. The two boys followed the Doctor from the room. Shane's heart was pounding. He was going to see Nicky. What would he say to him? What would Nicky say to him? Should he kiss him or just hug him? Would the Doctor leave them alone together or stay in the room? If he stayed, would he tell Nicky the truth if Shane couldn't bring himself to do it?  
They paused outside a closed door in a deserted corridor. Both Kian and Doctor Handlin looked at Shane.  
"Go on Shane" Doctor Handlin said. "He's been waiting for you"

*-*-*-*-*

Shane took a deep breath and slowly released it. He reached out with sweaty hands and quietly opened the door. As he stepped into the room, his mind cast him back to the last time he had been in hospital. He had awoken to find an empty room and his first impulse was to leap out of bed and find Nicky. He had been in the process of climbing out of bed, despite his injuries and bandages, when Nicky's voice had filled the room. He had looked up and found his lover hesitating in the doorway. He had been told what Tobey and Kane had done to Nicky but seeing him standing by the door, his eyes on the verge of tears and his cheeks stained by already shed ones. It had filled Shane's heart with relief and love. Just seeing the blonde again had made everything Christian had put him through seem almost bearable.

He stepped into the room and quietly pushed the door closed. The last time he had seen Nicky, was in the Ambulance on the way to the hospital. And the blonde had been covered in blood, dirt and bruises. Now he lay sleeping in a bed against the wall. The sunlight filtered through the window, enveloping him in a pool of light. Shane's breath caught in his throat.

Lying in a hospital bed, despite being dressed in horrible hospital garments, Nicky looked incredible. A vision of beauty. Yet Shane could almost hear the blonde's complaints 'But it's not Gucci'.

As he moved closer to Nicky, his mind began to race and his heart started to pound. He couldn't do it. He couldn't tell Nicky the truth but he also knew that he couldn't lie to him either. He was quiet in his approach. He didn't know what to do. His instincts and impulses were telling him to take the blonde into his arms, to hold him close and pray that would make everything better.  
But he knew that wouldn't work. He knew he just needed to be there to comfort Nicky. But he didn't know how. How does one comfort someone who doesn't even realize how much pain they are in?

"Nicky?" Shane whispered.  
The blonde's blue eyes fluttered open. The smile playing on his lips filled Shane's heart with anguish. Nicky didn't deserve this... Not now. Not ever.  
"Shane?" Nicky replied.

The brunette lost what was left of his composure and broke down in tears. The older boy slowly raised his arm, reaching out to his distressed lover. With tears in his eyes, Shane approached the bed. He reached out and took Nicky's hand in his. Being careful to avoid his injuries, Shane climbed onto the bed beside Nicky and gently draped his other arm across Nicky's chest.

"I love you, Nix" Shane whispered.  
"I know" Nicky replied. He then placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I love you, too"  
"I am so sorry, baby. I... I should have done something. I should have stopped them"  
"Shay..."  
"I should have protected you" Shane insisted. "I let you down. I failed you"

Nicky was now at a loss for words. He simply didn't know what to say to Shane. The brunette had now broken down into a fit of tears. He wanted to do something for him. He wanted to say something but first he had to know why he was here.  
"What are you afraid to tell me?" the older boy asked. His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Nicky's question cut through Shane's heart like a knife. He had wanted so badly to protect him from learning the truth and he had failed. He always failed. Shane dared to look up. His eyes locked with Nicky's blue orbs and he quickly looked away. He heard Nicky sigh and he closed his eyes.

"Please don't do this" Nicky pleaded. "I know it must be bad or you wouldn't be having such a hard time trying to say it"

Shane continued to avoid Nicky's eyes. How did this happen? How did he manage to be the one to have to break this Nicky? Because he's your fiancé he reminded himself. He loves you, he trusts you. You love him, you trust him. He took another deep breath and looked up, right into Nicky's eyes. He reached across Nicky's chest and tightened his grip on Nicky's hand.

"I love you" Shane began.  
"I know" Nicky replied. "I love you, too"

Shane nodded, tears still occupying his hazel eyes. He averted his gaze, staring at their locked hands. He entwined his fingers around Nicky's and allowed his tears to fall.  
"Am I dying?" Nicky whispered.

Shane's reaction was quick. He released his love and pulled away. He sat straight up and stared down at the older boy in shock.  
"No. Of course not" Shane insisted. "Why do you think that?"

But Shane knew why Nicky had asked such an unbearable question, because Nicky wasn't an idiot. He knew something was wrong and that Shane didn't want to tell him what it was.

"Because I-" Nicky began.

His explanation was cut short when Shane's lips met with his own. He closed his eyes and slowly raised his arm, placing his hand on Shane's neck. The younger boy reached up and took a hold of his hand, holding it tightly as he reluctantly pulled away from the embrace.

"I'm sorry" Shane began. "I know why you asked me that. And I swear to you, you are NOT dying. So I don't want you to think that ever again"

"Okay. I promise. I won't"

"Nicky. Baby. What I have to say isn't good news but it's not the end of the world either. After hearing me out, you might think it is but I promise you... everything is going to be okay and I'm here for you if you need me"  
"Why am I suddenly wishing I didn't have to hear this?"  
"Believe me, sweetie. I wish I didn't have to be the one to tell you this"

Shane took yet another deep breath and very slowly released it.  
"Nix, today isn't Saturday. It's Friday. We weren't on CD:UK this morning. We were on it six days ago. That is, we recorded that interview eight days ago and it was shown two days later"  
"What are you talking about?"

The brunette closed his eyes, tears still escaping through his lashes. He could already see Nicky's reaction and the sight was heart-breaking.  
"No" Shane whispered, shaking his head. "I can't. I can't do that to you"  
Without a second thought, Shane was on his feet and running to the door.  
"Shay!" Nicky called after him. "Please don't do this! Please don't leave me!"


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine

Shane froze mid-step. Nicky's voice cut straight through his heart, breaking it into a thousand pieces. He couldn't believe his own actions. He had turned his back on Nicky when the blonde needed him the most. The brunette wiped the tears from his eyes and turned around to face his lover.  
"I am not going to leave you" Shane insisted. "Not now. Not ever. It's just that... I... I don't want to hurt you"  
"You could never hurt me" Nicky told him. "You would never let yourself do something like that"  
"The Doctors would"  
"I don't understand"  
"Something bad happened to you, Nix. Something very bad and you have selective amnesia because of it"  
"Selective amnesia?"  
"Yes"  
"What does that that mean? What is it?"

Shane finally stepped away from the closed door and slowly re-approached the older boy. He reached the side of the bed and, once again, took Nicky's hand in his own. His eyes briefly flickered over the blonde's ringless finger.

"It means," Shane began. "That you know who you are and who I am. You know what you do for a living and who is Prime Minister. You know where you live and who your parents are..."  
"Okay" Nicky carefully nodded. "I get that part"  
"That's good. But it actually means that you can't remember the events of the past week. The Doctor said this can sometimes happen to people who have been through really traumatic events"  
"So, what happened to me? What was the trauma?"  
Shane's brief hesitation didn't go unnoticed by his lover.  
"You don't want to tell me" Nicky stated.  
"No. I don't" Shane admitted.  
"Please, Shay. I need to know"  
"You remember what Christian and his 'friends' did to me?" Shane asked him. "And to you?"  
Nicky nodded.  
"Well, uh," Shane stammered. "Some... some of them came back, for more"

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!  
The door opened and an orderly appeared.  
"Sorry, son" he greeted Shane. "I'm afraid visiting hours are over for the day"  
"But... No, we're not finished" Shane objected.  
"Yes, we are Shane" Nicky whispered. "We're very finished.

*-*-*-*-*

Shane stood alone in the hallway. Nicky's words replaying themselves over and over again in his mind. 'We are Shane. We're very finished'. His tears continued to roll down his already stained cheeks. He reached out, with a trembling hand, and gently placed it against the closed door. He was too absorbed in his heartache that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching. He didn't hear his best friend's voice attempting to reassure him. He didn't even blink when Kian pulled him into a comforting hug.

The brunette turned, burying his face in Kian's chest. He held his friend close, well-aware of how much pain he was in. The two men held each other tight, lost in their own world as Doctors and Nurses went about their busy work schedules. None of these workers gave the two friends a second glance or thought.

After several long minutes, Kian pulled away and looked at his friend. Shane was a wreck. He needed a shower, shave, food and several decent nights sleep. What he really needed the most was Nicky, in perfect health and state of mind. But Kian knew that wouldn't be possible just yet.

"You look like hell, Shane" Kian stated, truthfully.  
"I feel like hell, Ki" Shane managed to choke out.  
"Did you tell him?"  
"I tried"  
"What happened?"  
"I... I don't... I don't know"  
"Are you okay?"  
"I have to be. Don't I?"  
"Whatever Nicky is going through, it affects you too. He's your fiancé"  
"Not as far as he knows"  
"You didn't tell him that part?"  
"How could I? I never should have asked him in the first place"  
"Shane! How can you say that?"

"Think about it, Ki" Shane began. "Nicky means everything to me but whenever something good happens to us... Something equally bad (if not more so) happens to ruin it"  
"Shane..."  
"I'm serious Kian. There are higher powers working over-time to keep the two of us apart"  
"Are you crazy? You love him and he loves you. Nothing will ever change that. You say now that you shouldn't have asked him but... Have you forgotten something more important?"  
"And what's that?"  
"Yes, you were the one who asked him. But he was the one who couldn't say yes fast enough"  
"And now he doesn't even remember saying it"  
"But he will. The Doctor said that the memory loss wasn't permanent"  
"He didn't say how long it would be either. It could be days or even years"

"How is Nicky holding up?" Kian asked.  
"I have no idea" Shane admitted.  
"I'm sure things will seem better in the morning"  
"The morning? What time is it?"  
"Nine O'clock"  
"Oh. I guess you'd better be heading home then"  
"I'm not letting you stay here alone all night"  
"Well, you can't stay here and I'm not leaving either"  
"Yes. You are"  
"Kian!"  
"I checked us in to a little B & B five minutes away. Nicky isn't in any immediate danger so I'm taking you away from here for a little while. Then you're going to shower and sleep. You can come back here in the morning"  
"Kian!"  
"No excuses, Shane!"  
"I... I don't want to leave him"  
"And he doesn't want to see you"  
"He might change his mind"  
"Shane, visiting hours are over and you need sleep. Nicky is safe here. You know he is. And the Doctor's aren't going to want you hanging around all night. Please come with me, Shane. Staying here isn't going to achieve anything. You might as well come with me and get a decent night's sleep in a proper bed"  
"But... What if he needs me?"  
"You'll be back in the morning. You know that and so does he. It's all over now. Another few hours apart isn't going to kill either of you"  
"I guess you're right"  
"Of course I am"  
"Ki?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Can we get something to eat on the way? I'm starving!"  
Kian simply laughed at his friend and started to escort him from the hospital.

*-*-*-*-*

Nicky lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't know how long he had been in this position. He didn't particularly care either. He regretted his last words to Shane but he knew he couldn't do anything about it now. A Doctor had come by not long after Shane had left. Nicky had asked him if Shane was still around but had been told Shane had already left.

The blonde singer continued to stare at the ceiling, wondering how to apologize to the brunette. For a brief moment, he wondered what he would do if Shane didn't forgive him. He hadn't said much to the younger boy but he knew how harsh his tone had been. He had seen the look in Shane's eyes when he had sent him away. He then reminded himself that this had happened to them before. When Shane had been found, after his kidnapping, he had pushed Nicky away in an attempt to protect him from hearing what Christian had done to Shane.

Nicky took a deep breath and slowly released it. Shane had tried to push him away and he had almost succeeded. If it hadn't been for Kian... Nicky shuddered to think where they would be now had he given in to his insecurities rather than follow his friends advice. While Shane himself had once been in a similar situation, Nicky feared the outcome of this one... For Shane had known what had been done to him. He could remember his entire ordeal. Nicky couldn't.

The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if it was better this way. He had no memory of what had been done to him. He had no idea how many people had done it or how many times. When he had awoken in his hospital room, he hadn't been aware of his physical injuries. Having been pumped with so many drugs, he wasn't in any pain and had mostly been disoriented by his surroundings. He had then seen his reflection in a mirror and had been shocked to see a black eye staring back at him. Although he wasn't entirely sure that that was what he was really seeing.

He couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for Shane to tell him what had happened. Nicky, himself, had feared having to tell Shane of his own violation during Shane's absence. 'Luckily' for him, Shane had already known about it and, despite Nicky's protests, had naturally blamed himself for the attack.  
Nicky slowly reach up and wiped the tears from his eyes. He loved Shane with all his heart. He also knew that Shane loved him just the same. They had survived an incident like this before. They could do it again. They have to do it again.


End file.
